Pieces out of Line
by Wrathie Winsre
Summary: A new piece could change so many things, but the same applies for pieces that could be aligned better as well. The world of RWBY with small, but major changes that would change their world as we know it. An AU Crossover fic.
1. Chapter 1

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: So here we go, another story. Seriously? I blame my beta, _bowpurity _for it ending up like this.**

**You can thank him or hate him for the development of this idea after I wrote the oneshot for RWBY.**

**I'm still weighing my options on whether I would continue this one, and if I don't, it's at a pretty decent ending point as it is, I think so at least.**

**Thank you, _bowpurity_ for the beta. And here is his beta-comments for this chapter:**

_Beta note: Beta-ing this…. It's so long… It goes on forever. I wanna get off Mr Bones wild ride._

**Lastly, do enjoy the story.**

* * *

Have you heard of the saying that it's possible for the flapping of a butterfly's wings to cause a typhoon at the other side of the world? Small changes, interactions and minor amendments to one's words, actions would really change how one forms relationships, bonds and everything else.

But life itself isn't perfect, life never would be. But it could be, oh, it really could be if things had happened... a little differently.

A story where the pieces were aligned better, friendships would be forged firmer... and maybe things would end up being a lot better than how it had _happened _if everyone was... _slightly different._

* * *

..

'I said, hands in the air!'

The thug ordered the small, young girl, Ruby Rose, after she plucked off her headphones. Silver eyes looked back curiously at him with her mouth slightly open.

'Are you robbing me?'

She asked softly, looking very calm despite being in the middle of a hold up. The dark red haired girl simply gave a small smile when the thug nodded his head, ordering her to raise her hands again.

The last thing he saw was a flash of red before he was kicked out of the Dust shop unceremoniously by an unmatched force of great speed and skill. He didn't even see what had hit him, nor was in the shape to say anything as he laid quietly and unconscious outside of the shop.

The sight and commotion of seeing one of his men being subdued and kicked out of the Dust Shop was enough to make the perpetrator of the crime, Roman Torchwick scowl in displeasure. He hadn't seen who had done it, but it must be someone in the store.

'Get whoev-'

He was about to order his men when an all too fast blur of red and black slammed into him. A sheathed weapon slammed into his gut and sent him flying several feet to land at the floor of the shop. He was still dizzy and barely noticed his men being tossed like ragdolls around of him.

Whoever was doing this had a small measure of skill and Roman quickly scrambled to his feet in time to see all his men being subdued by a small child.

'Well you certainly are good for your size, Red.'

Roman wheezed while clutching his stomach. She had hit him good earlier but now that she had stopped, he was able to commit the girl's look into his memory.

'You were certainly efficient, and you took care not to hurt my men more than you needed to. Cautious, aren't you?'

The child narrowed as she brought her weapon to a rest. Roman found himself quite impressed that a young one like her could use _that_ in such a skillful way.

The weapon that the child had just revealed was a large red and black scythe that she wielded and used easily as she swung it in to the her side.

..

'Please surrender. I do not wish to hurt anyone here more than I have to.'

She answered cheerfully while giving him a big smile.

'…'

The girl was still soft, she probably had the illusion that he would surrender and would be arrested, the stolen goods would be returned and all of them would have a happy ending but him. Time to shatter that naïve dream of hers.

'It has been fun. I'm afraid I must be off... why not have this with my compliments.'

Roman whipped out his cane, modified to double as a firearm and fired it point blank at the shopkeeper, ignoring how Red tensed up. Sadly for him, the Dust that he had collected so far had been knocked away from him but he could always steal more at a later date.

Now it was high time for him to get out of here!

Roman fired and as he expected, Red moved to block the attack aimed at the shopkeeper while he made his escape.

Jumping through the broken window, Roman made his escape but couldn't resist the urge to delay or potentially kill the girl that had tried to stop him. When he was some distance away, he grinned and thought of a way to make her pay.

No one got the better of Roman Torchwick without him having a say in this!

'And another on the house, Red!'

He activated one of his spare gems before throwing it into the shop and was aiming for another shot at Red when the gem was tossed BACK out of the shop before he realized what had happened.

That sneaky brat had the cheek to try and outdo him?!

'Alright, party's over!'

Roman growled as Red jumped out after him only to face his wrath as he fired at her repeatedly. The craters left by his attacks made him grin in satisfaction, even more so when he saw that he _finally_ clipped Red with one of his attacks, sending her flying before he continued his escape.

* * *

..

'Persistent aren't you?'

Roman scowled down at Red from his airship. She had managed to catch up with him after he had boarded his escape plan. She looked quite singed and there was a nasty burn on her side that would limit her mobility for quite a while.

'You're not... getting away. Surrender.'

Red huffed out weakly and Roman just grinned at the sign of weakness from his foe. He'll feel bad for killing her, but this was strictly business and she was in his way.

'How about, no? Farewell my young foe!'

Roman grinned as he gave a repeated performance, tossing a small red gem but instead of letting it get into range of Red, he fired his flare at the gem to detonate it into deadly shrapnel in front of her instead. The big whump and the large cloud of fire and smoke was enough to get him to chuckle in satisfaction at successfully killing the brat.

There, got that thorn on his side. It'll teach the rest a lesson to the rest to stand in _his _way.

At least, that was what he imagined but his eyes widened when he saw that someone else was protecting Red. It was a glasses wearing blonde woman and from the way that she was unscathed with a magical circle guarding her from harm, he knew that she was on a different league.

His intuition was right when she stared at him coldly before raising her riding crop at him coldly. Her facial expression did not even change as she pushed her glasses up and sent a spell coming their way. Numerous rays of purple light flew from around her before slamming into his escape craft, destabilizing it and almost crashing it if not for his competent pilot.

This might be trouble...

'We got a Huntress!'

Roman growled a warning as he stumbled into the cockpit to take control, he'll have to leave this to his... business partner. She'll be able to deal with it!

* * *

..

'They got away... are you alright?'

The girl in red, Ruby Rose, stared at the Huntress that had saved her wordlessly before nodding her head shyly and eagerly.

'T-Thank you... I'm alright...'

Ruby started before beaming at her with a radiant smile.

'Y-You're a Huntress...'

Ruby asked her, a mixture of awe and shock that caused the blonde lady to narrow her eyes slightly. W

as the child going to attack her? Her actions had been exemplary so far, trying her best to limit injuries to both sides and tried her best to limit damage to public objects or to risked the lives of others. She had even shielded the shop owner with her body at the cost of some injuries. Her rescue strategy was well thought out considering how sudden it had been. Despite injuries that she had sustained, had continued to pursue the villain without a thought of her own well being. She was brave, only a little naïve but considering her age, that wasn't something that was unusual.

The only thing that could count against her was how she was almost killed in that last counter attack by Roman Torchwick. Without her, she might have died then and there.

Or... maybe not... She believed that the young child would be competent enough to defend herself and to capture the criminal if he did not have another accomplice with him. She was mature beyond years, and with some training and hard work, would go far.

'Can I please have your autograph?'

With her having such high expectations of the child in front of her, the Huntress, Glynda Goodwitch was totally caught off guard when she asked for her autograph in such a starstruck way.

* * *

..

'Ruby Rose...'

Gylnda looked thoughtfully at the young child that was currently receiving medical attention before turning to the headmaster, Professor Ozpin who had wanted to meet with the young child.

The headmaster of Beacon Academy was a middle aged, silver haired man that wore small sunglasses that hung off tip of his nose. After hearing her account and summary of how the young child had performed, had immediately sought a meeting with her.

Gylnda knew what was going to happen before he even asked his request. Beacon needed the manpower, they all did... but to expose a child like this to the horrors of the Grimm...

'Do you think the child is ready?'

'She... is exceptionally skilled and although still childish as her age suggests, would be a great huntress with her eye and ability to focus on the details and objective of the current situation. She did not recklessly endanger the lives of others during the robbery attempt and was quick and decisive with her actions. I would have thought she would wish to showboat a little, but that did not seem to be the case.'

'That is great praise coming from you, Ms Goodwitch.'

'I am merely stating the facts, Professor. Should I call for the interview to be conducted now?'

She asked politely and nodded when the headmaster agreed.

'Ruby Rose... she'll be an exceptional addition to Beacon...'

* * *

..

'Do you know who I am, Miss Ruby Rose?'

Ruby gave a small nervous smile at the man that was sitting in front of her, he was the headmaster of Beacon! Of course she knew who he was, it would be her dream to attend the school there and so of course she would know who he was!

'Yes Sir, you are Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy Sir.'

Ruby smiled hesitatingly and then gulped when the headmaster served a plate of hot cookies in front of her while he placed a mug of coffee beside it.

'Help yourself Miss Rose, I just wish to have a small chat with you... Specifically... about how a child your age possessed such skills with your weapon.'

Professor Ozpin gave an encouraging smile as Ruby did indeed take up his offer and gingerly nibbled, and then stuffed the cookie into her mouth and chewing happily.

'Thank you very much Sir.'

She swallowed before replying and then settled down to wait for him to continue, occasionally giving small hesitant but hungry looks at the plate of cookies. However she did not reach for more than one.

Glynda noticed that and applauded her silently for having the self control one wouldn't necessarily have even when older. Still, children would be children and when offered to take another, she did so without hesitation.

'Now I only know of one other person who has that amount of skill with a similar weapon. Could I know where you learned to do that?'

'… Of course, Sir. I learnt to do so at Signal Academy.'

'And...?'

Ruby simply smiled even as Professor Ozpin prodded her on and after a few moments of silence, he decided to move the topic along. The girl was secretive, he'd thought that she'll be happy to tell everyone who and how she got her skill. He certainly didn't expect that from the child sitting in front of him.

'You, have silver eyes... and I only know of one other person who could wield a scythe as skilfully, or even more than yours. But he's an old crow... would you two know each other?'

Professor Ozpin offered a lifeline to the redhead and he was satisfied when Ruby Rose replied.

'Oh that's probably my uncle Qrow. He taught me everything I knew, without him, I would still be struggling. I... owe everything to him.'

She was modest, that was also a good trait, but she seemed perfect, and that was what worries him just a little.

'Miss Rose, you would have to pardon me a little... but you seem different from those of your own age.'

Professor Ozpin narrowed his eyes and that caused Ruby to sweat nervously a little at the scrutiny.

'… I... I think I am the same as every other girl of my age.'

'A girl your age wouldn't be able to fight in that fashion, nor handle a dangerous situation like that so well.'

Professor Ozpin rebutted and he got the answer he was looking for when Ruby gave a sigh and remarked.

'… This is nothing compared to the trouble that Yang gets into at times... I did get injured but that's because I got careless... Some of Yang's rampages, or her Ex's rampages... Oh, I'm sorry... Yang is my older sister, she is enrolling in Beacon Academy this coming semester.'

Ruby explained while scratching her head in embarrassment before she continued.

'It is my dream to be a Huntress, similar to the Huntress I met earlier... she was amazing.'

He noticed the tone of longing in her voice and he gave her a small smile involuntarily, so she was exposed to more danger than he thought. That might explain how detached she was to some extent.

Eventually though Professor Ozpin sighed and asked.

'Well, Ruby, would you want to enter Beacon Academy? It's a prestigious school that aims at training would-be Huntresses.'

'I would sir, more than anything.'

Professor Ozpin smiled and nodded his head. Yes, this would work out just fine.

* * *

Or perhaps with a change to the roster, just a little. Someone... who could change the dynamics a little more than he should.

But hey, that's how the life works, right? To meddle with the mould, to break all barriers, to change the world to make it a better place.

And sometimes, just sometimes, just a simple coincidence or mistake would bring about the presence of a person along with his ideal of perfection. Except, life can't be perfect… We can all only strive to reach it.

* * *

..

'I'm so proud of you, Ruby!'

Ruby's older sister, a blonde with messy long hair and violet eyes hugged the smaller girl with all her strength the moment the airship started moving towards their destination.

Yang Xiao Long had been very sceptical on whether Ruby was saying the truth and now that they were on their way to Beacon, she was convinced that Ruby had indeed been accepted into Beacon.

'Two years head of your class! Now that's my little sister! It kinda makes me feel a little old though.'

Yang gave her sister a big grin as she released Ruby after her little sister tapped her on her shoulder for her to let go.

'Honestly Yang, you're still way stronger than me... even if I have two years to catch up I'm not going to.'

"Nonsense, you're my baby sister! You'll be just fine! You're great with your scythe and I'm not saying that just because I'm your older sister! You'll be FINE!"

Yang grinned happily while declaring that this was the best day ever. That was Yang for you, energetic and cheerful to a fault. It was almost tiring but Ruby had been with her sister for _years_ now. Sometimes, she wondered who was the older sister as someone had to take responsibility. Eventually it had fallen to her, but that didn't mean that she was always this cool and collected.

'It's... really not... I just got lucky... Anyone could do it. I'm sure that you'll be able to catch that rotten bastard who got away.'

'Uh uh uh, language little sister! And it's totally _not!_ You were amazing! Everyone in Beacon is going to talk about you! You're going to be famous~'

Yang started singing while Ruby just started shivering a lot more.

'Hey, little sis? What's wrong? Aren't you excited! You're going to BEACON! With me! What else could be better!'

'I... I don't want so much attention, I... I don't deserve it. I don't want others to view me as special, or different... I just want to be... normal.'

'Well too bad, you've got to suck it up little sister.'

Yang smiled firmly and good naturedly at her baby sister before pulling her into another hug, a more gentle one this time.

'Besides, you got me. I've got to look after my sister after all. That's what elder sisters are for.'

Yang grinned when Ruby elbowed her in her stomach.

'I'll hold you to that, Yang...'

But Ruby did seem a calmer now and Yang grinned.

'See, all fixed~'

'Oh shut it, Yang.'

'Language my little sister, LANGUAGE!'

'You're one to talk... ugh...'

The sibling's were too occupied with their own byplay that they were only able to catch end of Glynda's speech to the new students of Beacon. Still, it was something that all of them would have heard before, nothing special about it at all.

..

The two girls ignored the way some of the other students, especially the boys, were staring at Yang, whose attire and figure was the very epitome of female beauty. Some were even leaning to get a better view of Yang and the view the airship were giving them.

'So, nervous?'

'A little... … but the view is amazing, you can see Signal from here. Home isn't that far, away.'

Ruby smiled happily, the biggest smile Yang had seen in a while and she wrapped a hand around her shoulders to offer her sister more confidence in herself.

'Don't get home sick on me, Ruby. Beacon's our new home now.'

* * *

The pieces are modified, not perfected. Nothing can be perfected.

But where, amendments could be made. Mistakes could be rectified, and their journey would be all the more worth following.

* * *

..

'I-I'm so sorry, please, let me help!'

Ruby apologized profusely when she had accidentally tripped and knocked over the luggage of another student. From the angry looks that the white haired girl was giving her, she was really mad at her.

'Sorry? Do you have any idea the damage that you could have caused?'

Gesturing angrily, the girl in white was about to go off on another tirade before Ruby stopped her by hastily getting up and bowing to her.

'I do apologize, I was unaware that you were behind me and I tripped. Please, do forgive me and allow me to help you.'

By bowing her head deeply and showing her apology in such a manner, Ruby successfully defused the situation better than just arguing or getting in her way. That was something she had learnt over the years, if in the wrong, admit it, and don't do _anything_ unless you know what you were doing. Assumptions just made an ass of yourself as assume simply means: 'Ass' Out of 'u' and 'me'.

It was something that Yang never quite picked up on though.

'Hmph... …'

The white haired girl didn't seem too happy but nonetheless curbed her own temper at seeing another person apologizing in this manner. It would be improper for her not to accept her apology if she was willing to go to such an extent.

'Ugh, fine. I accept your apology, but do not do this again. I would be expecting more than just an apology the next time. - And what are _you _doing?'

With the grace of a condescending queen, the white haired girl shrieked again while Ruby straightened her back.

To her side, an orange red haired boy knelt, inspecting the contents of the luggage closely. He was smartly dressed, with dark blue pants and a sharp collared shirt. A tuxedo was placed over his shoulder, held loosely in a hand as he reached out for her luggage with the other.

'I am hoping to help with the luggage, Miss.'

'I can see that! Do you know how dangerous and expensive this Dust is? It's not your run of the mill stuff you get from the shops!'

The girl in white shrieked at a boy who had orange hair as he picked the luggage bags up carefully.

'I do understand that, Miss. However the casings have not been sealed properly, please allow me to help. As it is now, the Dust would be spilled when you move the cases.'

'What- How?! It must be your fault!'

The girl turned to point at Ruby again and her jaw opened wide in shock before she shook her head desperately. Thankfully for Ruby, the same boy denied it.

'It couldn't be, I suspect that when the cases were packed they did not secure the cases properly. Please allow me for to help you Miss.'

He gave them a disarming smile before gingerly fiddling with the girl's suitcase. She seemed upset at first but when he pointed out the residue of where the Dust was leaking out, she accepted the boy's help while scowling and mumbling a little to herself. Ruby was close enough to listen to her mumbling and she prepared herself to be interrogated, only she interrupted her by introducing herself first and apologizing.

'My name is Ruby Rose, I am really sorry for what I did.'

The white haired girl raise an eyebrow.

'… Hmph... are you expecting an introduction from me?'

She gave a small smirk before continuing.

'Very well, from the way you are dressed you must come from some rundown village, you must not know who I am.'

'No, I do not...'

Ruby was getting a little ticked off about this girl who seemed so full of herself but she fought her rebellious tongue to keep the peace. God knows what would happen if she set her off _again_. She didn't even know what was the big deal about her crashing into the luggage earlier.

'Well then, I am -'

'Weiss Schnee, the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, which is the largest producers of energy propellent in the world.'

The girl who interrupted them again was dressed totally in black, and that was enough to make Ruby feel a little awkward. What was with all of their dress codes? She was red, Yang was yellow, this Weiss girl was white and this one was black. Gods, this was sooo awkward!

'Finally, some recognition and respect that I deserve.'

'The same company is also known for it's controversial labor forces and questionable business practises.'

The girl in black deadpanned with an even look on her face, it was enough to make Ruby want to applaud and give her a high five for getting one over Weiss, was it?

'W-Why, you... You have the nerve- ugh...'

Weiss was so frustrated that she couldn't speak for a moment till she whirled back to glare at Ruby.

'It's your fault!'

How was this _her_ fault! But Ruby kept quiet and just shook her head to say that it really wasn't.

'Ugh... What is your name.'

'Huh?'

'What is your, name?'

The girl dressed in white repeated her statement and Ruby had no choice but to reply as she looked like she was about to attack her. She _did_ tell her that earlier!

'Ruby Rose... It is a pleasure to meet you?'

'Well then Ruby Ros - '

'You are the one who stopped the robbery involving Roman Torchwick, aren't you?'

The girl in black interrupted again, only this time she sounded impressed as she studied Ruby.

'You are also the youngest girl to join Beacon Academy in the last ten years.'

'W-Wha- you? You-...'

Weiss seemed thunderstruck while Ruby just shook her head and said.

'N-No. It was just a fluke. I got lucky, I'm sure anyone could have done it.'

'Blake.'

'Huh?'

'Blake Belladona, that is my name.'

The girl in black, Blake smiled while Ruby just nodded back in acknowledgement.

'And I'm Ruby Riose, it's... nice to meet you.'

The red haired girl smiled, maybe it wasn't going to be so bad making new friends after all!

'STOP IGNORING ME!'

Weiss was about to start another temper tantrum when the boy who was helping Weiss the whole time stood up and said.

'The cases are tightly secured now. I hpe that I didn't take too long with it, Miss Schnee.'

'I hope that I didn't take too long with it, Miss Schnee.'

Weiss was caught off guard by the smile he gave them, it was... peaceful. Ruby could feel that and she found herself staring at the orange-haired boy before smiling at him as well.

'I repeated myself plenty of times before, but I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose, and you are?'

'Ah, it's Emiya Shirou. You can call me Shirou.'

* * *

A story of stronger friendship, less conflict, more harmony and less secrets between comrades.

* * *

..

'You know how to manage Dust, it is not something that a warrior like yourself would pay attention to.'

Weiss bit her lip as she tried hard not to insult the man who was walking with them to the grand hall. Normally she'll dismiss him like the common knave he was, but he _had_ helped her with her Dust and that deserved her acknowledgement. It was the least that the heiress of the Schnee family could do.

'I just like to help people and I worked in a Dust shop before. I like cleaning, so securing the Dust well is very important.'

Somehow or another she had gotten roped into walking along with that insufferable red and black head girls who was listening to the conversation as though they were part of it!

'Hmph, well I suppose that I do owe you... some thanks.'

Weiss forced herself to say so while the other two girls looked at each other. They were judging her, she _knew_ it! But in front of this guy she couldn't say anything less. It was the truth after all.

'Oh, don't mention it. It's fine, I know that it'll cause some trouble for you and I'm glad that I prevented that.'

Weiss just stared at him as though he had said something stupid. Which he had, did he just, reject her offer to reward him? This... he just, no, that's impossible.

'That's quite hilarious, Shirou. You are really a knight, aren't you?'

Ruby managed to say while giggling and even Blake seemed amused as she studied the boy for a moment or two before nodding her head in satisfaction.

'I've never heard anyone call me that before, Miss Rose... but we are training to be Hunters... it's rather appropriate.'

Shirou replied casually before Weiss snapped again, pointing a finger at him angrily.

'W-What do you mean you don't want it?! I, WEISS SCHNEE is TELLING you to ACCEPT MY THANKS!'

Weiss shrieked and it was enough to cause everyone to stare at her, only she was too distracted to care. Ruby and Blake winced and was taking small steps back but Shirou just seemed even more surprised.

'Thank you, Miss Schnee, but again I have to decline, it's really nothing worthy to accept your thanks for. I do appreciate the gesture and I am very honored, but again, I apologise, please, it is nothing to be thanked for.'

He seemed to realize that the entire square's attention was on him and he smiled again while offering a hand to Weiss.

'However if Miss Schnee insist on offering me your thanks, perhaps you could grace me with your presence for the orientation?'

Shirou replied with another of his smiles, and that caused Weiss to turn red as he had bowed back in a knightly fashion. H-How dare he?! Even after helping her, then rebuffing her, he still managed to save her face from further embarrassment with his apology.

It made the blood run up to her cheeks and she looked and felt very exposed till she composed herself and sniffed unhappily back at Shirou.

'The Schnee family would not forget your act of kindness towards us. Very well, I shall accept your invitation.'

Weiss managed to make her voice be natural and composed while in reality she was panicking. What was _she doing_?! But it was just a way to save face! It would be bad for her not to at least show that much courtesy to him for all that he has done so far. He had covered for her and helped her, and even helped her out of this embarrassing scenario.

..

The conversation left Ruby trying hard not to burst out in laughter while Blake simply looked unsure of herself for a long time. This was better than a soap opera and Ruby forced herself to watch when Weiss accepted Shirou's hand as they walked towards the grand hall that the orientation was going to be held.

'Should we follow the two of them?'

Ruby asked cautiously while looking at Blake, the raven haired girl seemed to have a stone to pick with Weiss, but then again she hadn't been too antagonistic in the first place anyway.

'We should, if to help Shirou more than anything else. He deserves better than the Schnee Heiress.'

Blake sniffed while Ruby just laughed, did Blake just admit to having some interest in Shirou?

'Well he is a decent guy and he did help me, so we should at least try to save him from Weiss. He was accepted to Beacon too and so that means he must be good, right?'

Ruby wondered as they followed after the two awkward individuals in front of them, Shirou looking more comfortable than the flustered Weiss.

To the white haired girl's pleasant surprise, she discovered Shirou did indeed have some training in etiquettes as he had escorted her up the stairs in the right manner and fashion consistent with a knight. She would be the centre of attention when they entered the hall at this rate!

It wasn't that she minded, Shirou looked pretty decent and he was polite and most importantly – treated her the way she _should_ be. That all scored points. But somehow that still didn't quite satisfy her... it made her feel guilty somehow.

* * *

..

'I see my little sister had made some friends! I'm Yang, Yang Xiao Long! Glad to meet you!'

Yang grinned happily after catching sight of Ruby with another girl as they walked together into the grand hall. Granted, her attempt to score some hot guys was a bust but she really didn't mind anyway. If her sister had scored a cute guy though, she would have to have that _talk_ with them. For her sister's sake. But a girlfriend? She's _totally_ cool with that! Besides, she looks nice! And Cute, and mysterious, and cool, and MANY OTHER THINGS! She swore her ribbon even moved like a cat! So, CUTE!

'Blake, Blake... Belladonna.'

Blake sound a little overwhelmed by the energy exerted by the older sister of Ruby and she was relieved when Ruby told Yang to cut it out.

'I'm sorry Blake, why don't you stand beside me instead of Yang. She can be a little over enthusiastic.'

Ruby rolled her eyes slightly at Yangs eagerness but remained inured to the sad look that Yang had on her face, it reminded Blake of a child that had her child taken away.

'… I think I would prefer standing beside Yang, Ruby, but I thank you for your offer.'

Blake surprised Ruby but the girl in red managed to _not_ bury her face into her hands when Weiss Schnee strode to stand beside Ruby with a scowl on her face followed by an orange-haired boy.

Yang recognized the white dressed girl, she was escorted into the hall with a decent looking guy with distinctive orange hair. He looked kinda cute too but they had quickly been forgotten after she caught sight of Ruby with her friend.

The two girls were excepting Weiss to snap at Shirou in anger but she simply gave Shirou a satisfied nod with a blush on her face.

'It looks like you have been trained well in etiquette, Shirou. Did you go through some formal kind of training?'

Weiss actually sounded curious and that caused Ruby and Blake to exchanged confused looks while Yang just look curious.

'A little, it was drilled to me by my big sister Fuji. You might have heard of her, she is the leader of the militia in Vale.'

'You mean the Tiger of Vale? You are related to her?'

All the girl's eyes widened while Shirou looked sheepish and nodded his head.

'Yes, but she didn't have the time to train me... I learnt everything by myself and I hope to be a Hunter so I can protect everyone. That is my dream, to be a hero.'

Shirou smiled as he told them that, the same peaceful and hopeful smile that made Weiss stop earlier. Only this time it wasn't just her that turned red, it was Ruby, Blake and Yang together with Weiss. His smile just seemed so... nice, like he was at peace in the world and it took a while for them to break free of the spell it casted over them. Ruby was the one to break the silence by asking Weiss.

'A-Ahh.. with did the two of you come here anyway... I thought you wouldn't want to be near me...'

'I... there was no other space left to stand with. You stand out too much with your red cloak. You should be honoured to stand with me, Ruby Rose.'

Weiss broke the spell by crossing her arms and nudging Shirou to stand closer to her.

'Yikes, what's _her_ problem.'

Yang whispered to Blake, and despite the violation of her personal space, Blake replied with a small smile.

'All stuck up and no where else to go. Your sister made friends with her.'

'… I wouldn't stick her with my worse enemy, she sure has a stick up her ass... huh?'

Yang raised an eyebrow when Weiss suddenly handed Ruby a handbook about Dust usage. Everyone knew what Dust was, why was she bullying her baby sister like that! If not for the fact that Yang knew her sister could deal with it, she'd have stepped in by now.

'… Vulgar, but I agree with your sentiments.'

Blake gave the blonde a smile and she returned with a grin of her own.

'Anyway, I'll be depending on you to look out for my baby sister, Blake. She sure gets herself into strange situations.'

Running a hand through her long locks, Yang winked at Blake who seemed startled before nodding her head solemnly back.

She had not thought that she would be meeting and befriending someone so soon, befriending... that sounded odd, but good as well.

'I will do what I can, Yang. However, I am certain that your sister could take of herself.'

Yang chuckled before giving her a 'V' with her fingers.

'Of course! She's my baby sister! But... better be safe than sorry.'

She added solemnly at the end, causing Blake to narrow her own eyes in understanding. Battling the Grimm, the monster, wasn't child's play here. Beacon Academy wasn't like other combat schools, they fought real monsters, and they would _die_ if they weren't careful.

'I promise.'

'Good, and Ruby always got the back of her friends, even... if she's like that.'

Yang shuddered as Weiss continued to lecture Ruby about her weapon for some reason.

* * *

..

_'_Hey there, Shirou. Sorry for leaving you with Weiss earlier on!'

Ruby apologized after catching Shirou after she had done washing up in the wash rooms. All of them were sharing and sleeping at the same hall before teams were going to be allocated tomorrow. She had no problems with that, but she really hated how Yang was checking out all the cute boys. That and she couldn't stop talking about Shirou as well. He had made quite an impression on all three of them.

'You mean Miss Schnee? It was no bother at all. Miss Schnee simply wished to accompany me for dinner.'

'That's exactly the problem, she's trying to take advantage of you, Shirou.'

Ruby replied calmly and evenly while narrowing her eyes. The boy was too good for Weiss, he had not complained at all at being ordered, much less requested to be with her. Ruby was certain that some boys would like that, but Shirou didn't seem to be that kind of guy. His eyes certainly did not waver from Yang and her older sister had immediately took a liking just because of that. No boy hasn't tried to undress Yang with their eyes after meeting her. Shirou was the _first _to do so.

No, Shirou really was too good for Weiss.

'… Really? But like I said, it's no bother... She reminds me of someone that I know before.'

'Oh...? And who's that?'

Someone who has a bad temper and who would badmouth people? Why would he wish to remember someone like that?

'A close friend of mine that I met at school. She would... do that because she is embarrassed to save face.'

'O-Oh... I see...'

Yang had pulled Blake and her to sleep in the same spot and Weiss had invited herself. The other three older girls were probably making a big ruckus right now and Ruby really pitied Blake who would end up being the middle man of the three. Yang and Weiss were like water and oil, they won't match but Ruby was loathe to be the one that they would inevitable drag into the argument.

'It is best to simply allow her pride to be restored before you try anything else.'

Shirou mentioned sagely before falling silent again. The silence was enough to cause Ruby to feel a little awkward and so she asked.

'Why are you... so nice, Shirou? I would never have done what you did.'

'There's nothing wrong with wanting to help people, Miss Rose.'

Ruby did not expect that Shirou's words would resonate with her dreams and she turned red before forcing out a laugh in agreement.

'You got me there, Shirou... I agree with it though, with all of my heart.'

Shirou too seemed surprised and his eyes softened before he chuckled weakly.

'I'd imagine that if it was someone else here, people would laugh at me. But even so, even in Beacon... I didn't expect anyone else to share my ideals.'

Shirou admitted, causing Ruby to frown in shock before she pouted while her hands went to her hips in a cute and threatening manner.

'You shouldn't expect that! It's a wonderful dream! To be a hero, to save everyone, no one should laugh at _that_!'

Ruby was persistent on that thought and it was enough to cause Shirou to raise an eyebrow before shrugging slightly.

'Perhaps... you are just different than most. I'm... glad that I met you, Miss Rose.'

'Ruby.'

'Huh?'

'Call me Ruby, Shirou. You don't need to be so polite to us! We're friends! And I'm sure you could call Blake, Blake instead of Miss Belladonna. I can tell it's making her upset.'

Ruby grinned while playfully batting Shirou's shoulder and the knight raised an eyebrow before giving a nod in acknowledgement.

'Alright then, I wish you good night, Ruby.'

'Hey, don't be so stiff! And okay, good night, Shirou. We'll see you tomorrow, okay?

* * *

..

'Remember Ruby, you are _not_ the only person going through initiation.'

Yang placed both hands on her hips in a posture that would make other guys drool while looking at Ruby. Her younger sister was carefully maintaining her weapon, Crescent Rose and wasn't paying attention to other things. She had never grown out of her weapon-crazy phase, not really, but she hadn't been vocalizing about it at all since a long time ago. Since... _then_.

'If you want to grow up, you will have to meet other people and learn to work together.'

Yang explained sternly and Ruby sighed while looking up at her sister before letting out a small sigh.

'I know... you sound like dad, Yang. And I have Blake with me, we'll be in the same team together, won't we?'

Ruby gave Blake a smile and the black-haired girl paused before flicking her hair behind her.

'It would be a comfortable arrangement, yes.'

'And Yang too, right? So that makes three of us... I remember hearing how teams in Beacon requiring four members though...'

Ruby mused while Yang looked at her sister in mock surprise.

'What, my baby sister wishes to be on a team with someone _else_ besides me! Oh baby, you have all GROWN UP! I thought you'll be complaining about how you _wouldn't_ need teams and would just fight by yourself!'

As Yang glomped Ruby, causing the two of them to crash on the floor to Blake's amusement, Ruby coughed and said that the robbery with Roman Torchwick had been bad.

'… I could have been killed if not for Miss Goodwitch... no matter how good one gets, there's always someone better... and having someone else with you really helps if you meet someone like that.'

Ruby said softly and that caused Yang and Blake to pause and to give each other thoughtful looks. Her sister had changed slightly since the robbery, matured a lot too, not that she wasn't mature before but it was a little... scary.

'Well then, fine, I'll be happy to be with the same team as my little sister. Besides, we know each other's style for so long, we'll be SUPER in a team together.'

Yang grinned before muttering.

'And there I thought having a new team would help break you out of your shell, you worry me, baby sister.'

Ruby heard her and she smiled while returning the hug to her.

'I... I know... I'll try, alright? I made friends with Blake... maybe Weiss and Shirou's nice too . So I'll do my best, like I promised you and Professor Ozpin.'

'Good, good... So, we've decided then!'

Yang cheered as she grinned at Blake, the raven haired woman raising an eyebrow before nodding her head.

'What about our last team member?'

She asked cooly while adjusting her outfit for the last time. She wasn't the only person to notice that all of the people she met had distinctive color schemes. Red with Ruby, Yellow with Yang, and black with her. Heck, even their hair color matched their scheme. The only exception was Shirou, whom was wearing dark blue, in contrast to his hair. Though…. she had a very bad feeling about who the last member they would be with.

'I don't know, do you think Miss heiress would be interested? No, no, we should totally have Shirou! He's cute!'

Yang rolled her eyes, she hadn't gotten along very well with the reserved and sullen ice princess who nagged at _everything_ besides her own perfection. But Shirou wasn't that bad of a guy, he was nice and he treated her like an equal fighter on equal footing. That's the most important part.

'We'll see... but I believe Weiss has her own ideas of what team she wishes to be with and she had dragged Shirou with her.'

Blake mentioned while pointing at Weiss speaking with another red-head, one that she... swore she recognized as well. She should stop reading so many books and paying attention to the newspapers if she didn't want to be known as the database in the team.

'Well, whatever the cookie crumbles, we can deal with it! Hey, how about we rescue Shirou from that stuck in the mud, huh?'

Yang cheered again and Blake wished she could share in her optimism.

* * *

..

'So Pyrrha, have you given any thought on whose team you would like to be in on? I'm sure everyone would like to be in a team with such a strong and skilled individual such as yourself.'

Weiss asked politely and disinterestedly while Shirou fought the urge to roll his eyes. Weiss had approached him bright and early to ask if he was interested in joining her team. Instead of outright accepting, Shirou had decided to just go with the flow for now. It hadn't been the right answer, but since it wasn't a rebuttal, Weiss had been cordial to him and had dragged him along to meet with another target.

'Hmm... I'm not quite sure. I was planning to let the chips fall as they may.'

'Well, I was thinking that we can be in a team together.'

'That sounds rad.'

Shirou raised an eyebrow at that, the redhead named Pyrrha seemed to have more common sense than that. Or she simply didn't care, as evident from her earlier statement. Perhaps she was just easy going, that could be the truth too.

'Great! Oh, I should introduce someone else that I thought would be great in a team together.'

Weiss pulled Shirou to face Pyrrha and he gave a smile back at Pyrrha who looked confused before grinning back at the two of them.

'This is Shirou, say hello to Pyrrha.'

'Hey.'

Shirou gave a polite wave before being shoved to the side by Weiss who seemed adamant in persuading her to join her team. Still, the gods weren't working with her as Pyrrha took an interest in Shirou instead, much to his dismay and surprise.

'Hey there, Shirou.'

'It is a pleasure to meet you, Pyrrha.'

The red head seemed curious, interested and yet cautious when looking at him and Shirou took a few steps back before waiting for Weiss to pick up the pace and finish up what she planned too. When orientation was over, he'll be free to start training again.

'Shirou, don't be so rude. Do you have any idea who you are talking to?'

'No, not really. I do apologize if I am supposed to, but I am not really well versed in the going ons of the higher social circle, Miss Weiss.'

Shirou replied patiently while Pyrrha looked even more excited and interested, if her grin was any indication.

'This is Pyrrha.'

'Hello again, Shirou.'

'She graduated top of her class she in Sanctum Academy. She's also won the regional tournament for magic users four years in a row, a new record.'

'Ah... I see.'

Shirou didn't sound too impressed, or still didn't recognize her and Weiss gave a long suffering sigh while staring at Shirou.

'How out of the woods do you live, Shirou? She's also on the cover of all the Pumpkin Pete's cereal boxes.'

'Ah, I see. However the cereal isn't very healthy by itself.'

Shirou nodded in understanding and that made Pyrrha giggle, much to Weiss's shock.

'You took the words out of my mouth, Shirou.'

Recovering from her shock by shaking her head, Weiss took it as an opportunity to tie the two of them who were somehow hitting it off through cereal. How _odd_ was that!

'It'll be great to be in a team together, don't you two think so?'

'Mm...'

Shirou shrugged noncommittally while Pyrrha just had the same smile she always did.

'Well, there are supposed to be four members in a team together, so if we are lucky, why not?'

Before Weiss could comment or add on, the announcement for all for all of them to report to their designated spots. The Schnee Heiress gave a frustrated growl that only stopped when Shirou suggested that he escort her to the spot as well.

Well, guess it wasn't_ that_ bad.

* * *

_.._

'So... the first person we make eye contact with is our partner...'

Ruby muttered while looking at Blake and Yang beside her.

'This is utterly ridiculous.'

Blake replied with a small smile, catching on to what Ruby had probably figured out.

'Think it'll be cheating if I wore my shades and said that they didn't make eye contact with me as I didn't see them?'

Yang asked cheekily while Ruby rolled her eyes.

'I'm sure there are more loopholes than that... Blake, I remembered your weapon had a whip... right? Could you... assist us in mid-air?'

Ruby hinted and the raven haired woman smiled before nodding her head.

'Of course... should I switch places with Yang then? The two of you... would be able to catch up?'

Ruby and Yang both nodded as they tuned off everything else and prepared to be launched off into the Forest where their test would take place.

* * *

..

'Well that was easy.'

Blake commented as the three girls had gathered together per their plan. Using Blake's whip to snag all of them to land around the same spot was perfect. Pity they were one short of a team member but it'll work out. They just hoped that one of them wouldn't be stuck with someone mean.

'Blake, you should team up with Ruby.'

'What? Sis!'

'No, no, no, I'm not letting our precious Blake be taken away by someone else. Besides, she's _your_ friend first, it wouldn't be fair.'

So that was why Yang was avoiding Ruby's gaze for a bit and the raven haired girl gave her own sigh at how protective the blonde was. Well, Ruby was the same to her sister, so that's fair enough to expect it would go both ways.

'But we're supposed to be a _team_, I want to be a team with you!'

'Tough, grow up more, Ruby. WE can't _always_ get what we want, like what Miss heiress thinks she can get.'

Yang must have jinxed herself as Weiss walked straight to her view that very moment, causing the blonde to blanch while Weiss's froze before trying to move away from her.

'… Oh no you don't! Get back here you spoiled little brat!'

Yang shot forward like a rocket, leaving Blake and Ruby together to just sigh as they rubbed their foreheads in exasperation.

'… Still,it could be worse. I'm looking forward to working with you for the next four years, Blake.'

'Likewise, Ruby...'

* * *

..

Pyrrha had landed easily after crashing through several trees to soften the impact. Although she had previously thought that it would be nice to let fate decide on how and who she was in a team with, she had decided that perhaps Weiss had a point.

People _would_ seek her out because of who she was. Weiss was a good example, except for maybe that one person.

Shirou, was it? He didn't know who she was, and he didn't particularly care as well. That was good, it would be better to meet someone who didn't treat her differently because of who she was.

From her perch in the tree, Pyrrha peeled her eyes to look for the tell tale orange hair that was Shirou's and wasn't disappointed when she was him crashing into an area that wasn't too far away from her.

_'Time to go!'_

Pyrrha noted to herself before jumping from the tree and making her way there.

..

'Well, fancy meeting you here, Shirou.'

Pyrrha gave a nervous chuckle while grinning widely at him. She had spotted the orange-haired boy from a distance and had decided to get his attention in the most direct way as possible. By throwing her weapon in his direction, and perhaps her training had interfered with that as she had nearly impaled Shirou with her throw.

'I'm sorry... I was aiming at Grimm but it got out of the way.'

Pyrrha smiled sheepishly while Shirou threw her weapon back to her.

'I guess we'll be partners then, Miss Pyrrha.'

'Loosen up, Shirou, it's odd to be called that when we're going to be fighting side by side, right?'

Pyrrha grinned again and she felt better when Shirou nodded back firmly as the Grimm started to surround them.

'Noted. Shall we dance? I'll cover your back.'

Shirou's tone changed and Pyrrha knew then that she made the right choice, her blood was rushing faster than ever before as she charged at the Grimm with him watching her back.

* * *

..

'We wouldn't have been able to get here without you, Blake.'

Ruby smiled at her new partner before sighing at how the other pair was still arguing with each other. Weiss had mellowed down a lot after Yang saved her from a whole pack of Beowulf despite assertions that she could handle them herself.

The two of them were a dysfunctional team that was not balanced due to their preference of fighting in close quarters due to their weapons, but when Yang provided power, Weiss provided precision and so they would do well together.

For Ruby and Blake, the two of them were better matched, however they still had some problem due to how the two of them focused primarily on speed more than power. Still, Ruby's potential range together with Blake's unconventional armament helped even the odds.

The four of them were at the forest temple and were studying the relics for any hints on which one they should choose.

'We could take all of them to remove the competition?'

Ruby suggested while the rest looked at her before shaking their heads.

'We're not in a competition, Ruby... although I like that idea.'

Yang grinned while Weiss shook her head.

'No, it is against the rules.'

'There are no rules stating that we could not, but it would be in bad taste. Let us all pick the same to better the odds of being in the same team together.'

Blake suggested and despite Weiss's protests that she _didn't_ want to be together with the three of them, she couldn't stop Yang from agreeing and grabbing a white knight piece together with Blake.

'Ugh... Fine, I suppose I could... be with the three of you. It could be worse. The three of you are certainly competent...enough.'

Weiss bit her tongue to stop her from saying that she _was_ better. She _was... _maybe, Yang had certainly proven that she was at the least an equal and the most... ugh, she wouldn't admit that.

Ruby and Blake were unknowns, but if Ruby was able to stop a robbery from a criminal that no body has been able to – even with help, she would be competent. Blake had already proven herself to be an asset and they were other worse teams that she could be saddled with.

Even if she missed out being with Pyrrha, or Shirou. Yes, Shirou would be a crying shame, she had the boy in her backpocket soon enough! But still, like she said, it could be worse...

..

'What... is that?'

Ruby called out in alarm as she released her weapon to its active form suddenly as they started to make their way from the temple. Blake too had tensed and she pointed to the sky to see a huge Nevermore Grimm screeching at them. Did they do something to catch it's attention after all?

'Scatter!'

Ruby screamed out as it swooped down at them angrily, it's claws outstretched to try and catch them. Thanks to her warning, all of them were safe as the Nevermore swooped back to the sky, clipping one of the temple's towers and causing it to tilt and shatter to the ground.

'Yikes, thanks Ruby! Me thinks we should get out of here, now!'

'The objective is to get the relics and head back to the cliff, we don't need to engage if we don't need to! To the trees, it won't be able to attack us easily there.'

Ruby called as she dashed to help Weiss up, the heiress had barely jumped out of the way in time. Weiss looked startled before she nodded her head in agreement.

'It's not going to be _that_ easy.'

Blake muttered before repeating Ruby's cry to scatter as the Nevermore screeched before firing a rain of sharp feathers straight at them and forcing them to roll to the side as well.

'Gotta move, gotta move, gotta move!'

Ruby repeated as she pulled Weiss with her, the heiress not even complaining till she gave a scream at how _another_ large Grimm crashed out of the forest.

'A death stalker! What's that doing- is that Pyrrha?'

Weiss seemed too flat footed to even think straight but Ruby did notice the orange-haired boy that had been knocked a few feet away before he charged forward to cover Pyrrha again.

'Did they run all the way here while defending against the Death Stalker? They _are _good.'

Yang whistled while Blake just reminded them that they _still_ had the Nevermore after them.

'Ugh... seriously... Cover me please, Weiss!'

Ruby snapped at the Schnee heiress as she bent down on one knee after switching her scythe's form to it's secondary form. That of a high calibre sniper rifle. The new position would steady her aim... but she couldn't be rushed if she wanted to make that shot. She noticed how Shirou and Pyrrha trying to sever the very damaged and obvious stinger on the Deathstalker. That was a golden opportunity to deal some massive damage there.

'Ruby, what are you doing!'

Yang screamed in the background, frantic about something else but she had to trust her team mates and friends here.

'I'm helping them! Cover me! I'm just taking _one_ shot! Just one shot and we'll be gold!'

'AHH GEEZ!'

it was Weiss screaming this time and the red-haired girl couldn't help but give a soft chuckle after feeling a chill wafting behind her. The four of them had told each other of their weapons and abilities, although Yang had been _forced_ to listen, Ruby had taken note that Weiss could use _all_ elements thanks to her weapon _Myrtenaster. _She must have used one of them to help guard her.

'You owe me one, Ruby Rose!'

Weiss shrieked while Ruby made the shot, a single one like she had promised. The creed of the snipers was: 'One shot, One Kill' and she made that one shot count as her high powered bullet severed the Deathstalker's stinger and allowed the two of them enough time to disengage and to run towards them instead. There was safety in numbers after all.

..

'Run to the right! Run, to the, RIGHT!'

Yang screamed again and it was Ruby who was pulled by Weiss as another shower of falling and piercing feathers broke the ice wall that Weiss had formed like it was nothing.

'Nice shot.'

Blake was with them in an instant with a worried frown and Ruby had the time to look startled at how there was another pair with them as well. The calm boy in green was the one who remarked and Ruby gave him a smile when she saw his weapons, dual pistols that he was gripping tightly.

'Hehe~ Nora might have gotten that big birdie angry just now!'

The other girl, another orange head grinned mischievously before turning to her partner.

'Don't you think so too, Ren?'

'…'

He just gave a long suffering sigh before gesturing to the again advancing Deathstalker. Even if it was grievously injured, it was still a threat. The Nevermore was a problem as well.

'We should help them!'

Yang cried out while they were under cover and Ruby nodded her head.

'Could we ask for your help too?'

She asked politely to the two who nodded in consent.

'We are all classmates! I'm Nora Valkyrie, and this is Lie Ren! You can call us Nora and Ren!'

'We don't have time for introductions everyone! Scatter!'

Blake cried out in warning and they took the advice to heed as they scattered, some deeper into the trees and others towards the field as the Nevermore swooped down again.

..

Ruby found herself with Blake this time as the two of them stared at how Shirou had covered their backs with his shield as the Deathstalker had caught up with them. He was holding his ground firmly while Pyrrha attacked it with her weapon.

'We have to help them.'

Ruby said so firmly and Blake simply nodded as they got up and started circling it warily together.

'Who will take point?'

Ruby grimaced before responding.

'I will. My weapon has a better reach and it'll be easier to guard against the Deathstalker... would your pistol be able to hurt it?'

'We won't know till we try. Will you be providing cover fire?'

Blake asked softly and Ruby nodded in agreement as the Deathstalker shrieked in pain. Shirou and Phyrrha were doing very well, but they were on a clock here. Dropping down one knee, Ruby prepared Crescent Rose as Blake sped up to join in the fray.

'Hey, Shirou! Heads' up! Fire in the hole!'

Ruby cried out before firing several salvos at the Deathstalker, Crescent Rose's firepower slamming into the Deathstalker's face while Shirou and the other girl scattered, allowing Blake to circle behind it unnoticed.

'We can't hurt it enough, Ruby.'

Shirou calmly stated as he took point again, covering Ruby as the Deathstalker tried to advance towards her, mad at her for injuring it. The redhead that was with him just scowled and said that there was hardly a choice now. They _had_ to take it down.

'We'll deal with it, somehow.'

Ruby muttered while releasing Crescent Rose to it's scythe form, while Pyrrha nodded in agreement. Then it was upon them, and between the three of them, they successfully blocked the hammering blows from the Deathstalker as it rained down blows on them. It was like blocking a large hammer slamming against her and with her light body, but with the three of them taking turns to attack and defend, she held on.

'I'm Pyrrha, nice to meet you.'

Her strength was incredible and Ruby found that they could overpower the Deathstalker's strike if they worked together, which they did as the Deathstalker started pressing it's pincers on Crescent Rose hard.

'A pleasure... I'm sure.'

Ruby grunted and gasped when the pressure from the Deathstalker was suddenly released.

'Ruby, get it now!'

Ruby nodded before shoving against the Deathstalker's claws, pushing it away for her to see that Blake had wrapped the ribbon whip that comprised of her weapon around the Deathstalker's tail and was pulling it back and upwards. Shirou was somehow there behind her as well, helping and they were able to pull it up remarkably easily.

'Get it's underbelly, Pyrrha!'

Ruby grunted in exertion as she turned her weapon downwards before hooking it under the Deathstalker's face like a car jack and lifting it even higher. The Grimm looked positively hilarious as it was swinging it's arms desperately trying to attack the four of them and failing to do so.

'Got it!'

Pyrrha repeatedly stabbed at the Deathstalker till another cry alerted them to another attack.

'Ruby! Heads up! It's coming from behind you!'

Ruby turned to look behind her to see the Nevermore preparing another attack lining them in it's sights.

Perfect, she _couldn't_ have planned it better herself.

'At the count of three, break formation and scatter!'

Ruby barked as she grinned in triumph, this would be just _perfect_.

'Now!'

They scattered to watch the Nevermore puncture the Deathstalker with it's rain of feathery death. The large scorpion collapsing to a dead stop while the four of them regrouped to watch the rest of their classmates struggling to deal with the Nevermore.

'Had the two of you... got the relic?'

Pyrrha panted along with Ruby and it was Blake who pointed wordlessly at the half collapsed temple.

'Great.'

Shirou deadpanned, sounding just as tired as the other two girls were. Pyrrha however slammed a fist at his shoulder in annoyance, knocking him down while still wearing a radiant smile that showed she wasn't _that_ annoyed. Despite how it wasn't over yet, Ruby chuckled while trying to find her breath.

'… Let's... finish the mission together...'

* * *

..

'Russell Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black Bishop pieces.'

Blake gave Ruby a smirk as she had totally called it, she had also been the one to help the great partnership of Pyrrha and Shirou team up with the crazier but great partnership of Ren and Nora.

The two of them were amazing as a team, they obviously knew each other for a very long time as their teamwork was astounding. They did not even have to signal each other to know when to move out of each other's way and they knew how to get the best out of each other as Nora had launched Ren towards the Nevermore and the quiet and tired looking boy did not even protest.

It had been up to Nora to catch her partner after he dealt the damage to the Nevermore's eyes, causing it to crash to the ground for all of them to finish up.

..

Even if it had been another team that had felled the Grimm, Weiss grudgingly admitted that her team was a well oiled machine under the leadership of the small child named Ruby Rose.

She had made the right call to pull the two of them back to cover for the rest while showering death onto the Nevermore instead of getting in the way of the others who were better equipped to deal with the large monster.

The two of them had also been the one to stop it from trying to take off in panic by taking it's wings out with well time shots of Dust powered attacks. Ruby was a good markswoman and she had no doubts that she would be a great hand-to-hand combatant as well.

Her sister and her partner, Yang was a juggernaut that pounded the Grimm mercilessly and together with Blake, young Ruby's partner and an extremely fast and dexterous swordswoman of her own right, had severely crippled the Nevermore.

The finishing touches was delivered by Pyrrha, not that she doubted her skill in the first place and Shirou had casually lopped the Nevermore's head off with a combination of Pyrrha's thrown javelin and a swing of his blade. He had made it look, _easy_.

..

'From this day forward you will work together as Team Cardinal (CRDL), led by Cardin Winchester.'

As Professor Ozpin nodded at the other group, Yang cheered while their friends, Shirou, Pyrrha, Nora and Ren stepped up to take their team name as well.

'Emiya Shirou, Nora Valkyrie , Pyrrha Nikos and Lie Ren. The four of you have retrieved the white Rook pieces. From this day forward you will work together as Team Sniper (SNPR), led by Emiya Shirou.'

Pyrrha grinned and slammed another friendly fist at Shirou's shoulder, causing the knight to stagger a little while looking horribly confused and dismayed. Nora had hugged Ren, much to the boy's exasperation.

Ironic that none of them could be the sniper that their team stood for. Perhaps they had been running out of ideas at this point.

'Hmph, what an obvious pattern.'

Weiss sniffed unhappily but she was unable to showcase her intellect to the ever dumb blonde Yang as they were called up next.

'Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you have retrieved the white Knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Ruby (RWBY), led by Ruby Rose.'

Weiss's hopes was shattered when she heard Ruby's name being called first but she managed a small congratulations to her nonetheless. Ruby might _not_ be the best leader, but she was better at her just a little. She'll only have to challenge her leadership when she slipped up after all. That said, she had _another_ team leader that she could approach anyway! Emiya Shirou! That'll be a good thing to have!

'I'm so proud of you!'

Yang hugged her sister before grinning and then pulling all four of them into one as they made their way off the stage as one.

'So, go team Ruby! It's going to be a great four years together!'

Yang cheered when they were off the stage while Ruby looked unsure of herself.

'Is... it really fine? For me to be the leader? I'm younger than all of you... I. I think I'll ask Professor Ozpin to change -'

Ruby stammered but it wasn't her sister who came to her rescue, it was Blake as the raven haired girl shook her head while resting a hand on her shoulders.

'No, you would make a great leader.'

'Blake's right! It's better than asking me to be one! What do _you_ think, Weiss.'

Yang smiled at Weiss warningly. Even if they _weren't_ a team, Yang was Weiss's partner for the next four years. The blonde also has a mean uppercut that she was desperate to avoid. She stood _no_ chance against the temperamental blonde if she got in close, Weiss knew that.

But it wasn't out of fear of Yang that made Weiss snort and scratch her head awkwardly.

'I admit, I would have doubts a day before...'

Weiss started cautiously and she stiffened when Yang cracked her knuckles threateningly only for Ruby to place a hand warningly on her older sister as well to stop her from interrupting.

'But considering all that we went through as both partners and as a team... I believe, we w_ould_ only get better with time.'

Weiss flushed as none of her _team_ understood her words, was she really going to be with this group of miscouth.

'She is saying that we would be a good team together. But what about Ruby as the leader, Weiss Schnee?'

Weiss frowned when Blake asked with the subtle tones of irritation. She was _getting _to it!

'She would be acceptable as the team leader, but I would be challenging her decisions if she does makes questionable decisions.'

Weiss consented with a small glare that softened when Ruby just mumbled that she would be doing her best.

'And... has she made some questionable decisions so far?'

'No... Not yet, but I'm putting her under observation for now, but I am certain that I... or we, can chip in from time to time.'

Weiss coughed in embarrassment when Ruby in relief and gratitude but her blush only got better when Yang grabbed her for another hug, messing her hair up as she grinned down at her.

'Aww, is Weiss having a crush on my baby sister? I can allow it, only if you beat me!'

'I-Insolent blonde! Why would you get an idea like that!'

'Your face is all red Weiss! You need some sunlight! Let's go out to celebrate!'

..

As the two continued squabbling with each other, Ruby looked uncertainly at Blake, her first friend who had defended her appointment with a small smile.

'Thank you, Blake...'

'You'll do fine, Ruby, don't doubt yourself.'

The taller woman brushed her hair to the side before walking after their two loud teammates. A moment later she found another hand grabbing her and pulling her forward.

'A-Alright, let's go catch up with them!'

Their school year was just starting after all!

* * *

**Author's Notes: And that's a wrap. Don't count on the other chapters being this long though.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 2_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

Author's Notes: That's... alot of comments and reviews. Thank you for your support everyone. I've been getting alot of reviews on how Ruby is too polite, same with Shirou.

Ruby would be more mature in my fic, it's OOC, but I'll let her be childish at times as well. As for Shirou... I think considering the circumstances, it's reassuring to see him like that.

That said, no spoilers and we really went all out with the debates and discussions with the storyboard this time. But do enjoy this update.

..

Bowpurity note: so we, that is wrath and I, We really discussed this. And no, I don't mean this chapter. I mean the chapters of building climax, to the chapters of intensity, to the chapters of end. Right now, we're at the chapter of slice of life. Took 16 hours of discussion, but I think we've nailed it.. Probably. Maybe we need another 6 hours or so.

Anyway, we should be at the chapters of slice of life for a while. Hopefully. Do enjoy.

* * *

As much as Ruby wanted to be enthusiastic about being the leader of RWBY, even after having Weiss's grudging respect, the red-cloaked and red-haired girl was still an very epitome of a young girl called to the head master's office.

All the team leaders appointed during the ceremony was asked to report to the office for a small briefing on what they would be expected of as team leaders of their groups.

Besides Team RWBY, there were team SNPR, Team CRDL and three other groups that made people count up to twenty individuals in their first year together. It wasn't large number, but then again there wasn't really a _dropout_ curve. Beacon was an Academy to train Huntresses and Hunters and their training was very vigorous and throughout.

You _could_ die while attending Beacon Academy and if you survived and graduated from Beacon, you were qualified to be a huntsmen by sheer virtue or skill.

There really wasn't any accreditations to be a hunter, one would need to submit an application to the Hunters Association together with proof of your abilities, normally through the accomplishment of collecting bounties, for them to register one as a Hunter.

Then again, there were unregistered Hunters that were famous throughout the land as well. Shirou's sister, the Tiger of Vale was one good example.

She had never officially registered in the association, but was still looked up as one in spirit. In a sense, it's a title that one associates with a hero, one who hunt Grimms to protect the people who couldn't fight. Only those with sufficient skill or has achieved a certain noble act could be granted the title of Huntsmen/Huntress as well.

So it's really up in the air on _what_ kind of Huntress that Ruby wanted to be. However it was also common knowledge that graduating from Beacon would give one the necessary skills and be automatically qualified to be registered as a Huntsmen/Huntress.

Once registered, Hunters and Huntresses gain a small stipend from carrying out 'Hunter' activities, in which they would be required to take on missions to exterminate Grimm, to protect villages or act as bodyguards.

Thanks to the Hunter Association, Hunters could be hired and could even be ordered into the personal guard of a local town or city if they were willing to through the Hunter Association. It's just one way the Hunters gain their reputation and fame from.

They could also simply turn in Grimm bounties to make a living, many hunters do that while practising their skills or would enlist in the militia or the army to further protect the people.

So what was Ruby's dream as a Huntress going to be like?

..

'Shirou! H-Hey...'

Ruby smiled at the orange-haired knight. Wait, knight? Guess the nickname has stuck thanks to Weiss, who ever thought that they'll be in the same team together. Actually she believed that their individual outfits was a very big hint that they _would_, only Ruby thought that she had given up on believing in coincidences by now.

Guess Murphy's Law was still in effect, but she was rambling… best focus on now.

Ruby tilted her head to the side slightly when Shirou nodded and leaned against the wall beside her quietly. The Knight, yes he was a knight as he has behaved chivalrously like one the entire time they were battling the Nevermore Grimm. The raven like Grimm was strong, she hadn't met anything that could take Yang's attacks and she hadn't really been holding back. She had expended half her cartridges of fire dust and barely even dented the Nevermore, much less take it out.

But most importantly was how the Nevermore was relentless in it's attempt to kill them, and Shirou was in the thick of it to cover all of them. At first, she had dismissed Shirou choice of weapons, which was a sword and shield combination. It was a classic choice compared to her Crescent Rose, Blake's Gambol Shroud and Nora's Magnhild which were great weapons that were custom made for all of them. A sword and shield combination didn't allow him to attack using range, nor did it allow Shirou to maneuver easily on the battlefield.

Their weapons weren't just unique. Ruby knew better, they were forged and made to be the best fit for _their _own individual style.. Shirou's weapons however were ordinary, and a hand-me downs at that, and yet he was able to use the two to such a frightening effect. There were more than one occasion where it was Shirou's interference that stopped serious injuries due to the close quarters and the size of the Nevermore.

Especially when it was incapacitated due to Ren's attack on it's eyes blinding it. The large Raven Grimm was thrashing about in both pain and fury, probably determined to take all of them with it. That made it doubly dangerous as it was not flinching from the pain that they were dealing it.

Pyrrha did what she _could_, but it was Shirou who ensured that there were no injuries during the Nevermore's death throes. That was probably why Shirou had been elected as the team leader of SNPR. It made sense and it made Ruby's appointment even more confusing and harder for her to accept. Even for her, she was doubting herself!

'What's wrong, Ruby? You don't... look excited.'

'Ahaha... I guess not, I... I should be, huh? I'm a team leader now! Of Team Ruby! And I'm in a team with my sister Yang and with Blake... Weiss... is nice, I guess... But...'

'You aren't... would you mind telling me why?'

Shirou asked softly and Ruby turned to look at him looking at her with all his attention and the redhead smiled while scratching her head.

'You're... really a nice guy, Shirou.'

'They do say that... sometimes.'

Shirou winced a little but still kept that smile on his face as he waited for Ruby to go on. The younger girl bit her lip for a moment before asking Shirou bluntly.

..

'Shirou... how do you be a leader? I mean, how... do you lead a team? How do I do it? How can I... be a leader? I don't know... how, you know? After fighting with that Grimm... I know I need to be stronger to make my dream a reality...'

'You are doubting yourself.'

Shirou interrupted and Ruby smiled as it appears he understood but before Ruby could continue, Shirou placed a hand on her shoulder and told her that they would continue this conversation in a while.

'Come, the headmaster is waiting for us.'

Ruby blushed when it became apparent that she had not noticed Professor Ozpin call all of them in. Thankfully Shirou did not comment and simply apologized for holding them back just a little on her behalf. Really, he's a little _too_ polite.

* * *

Professor Ozpin's brief was everything but reassuring to Ruby and the young girl was even more worried and stressed out when they were all dismissed. Although the professor tried his best to reassure Ruby that she did have the skill and maturity to do so, Ruby wasn't convinced. She hadn't displayed any traits or skills that made her the best choice after all. In terms of skill Yang was much better, Blake had a better temperament and had been the one in Team RWBY looking out for all of them and she couldn't compare to how smart Weiss was as well. What made her special to be the team leader? Was it because she made some good decisions in the battle? Anyone could have done that!

'Will you accompany me for a walk, and to... continue our conversation from before, Ruby?'

Shirou asked Ruby while they walked towards the dormitory and she nodded her head at Shirou who slowed down their pace till the rest of the team leaders had left. He would then led her down an empty corridor in a bid to find some privacy.

The found it, sort of, in the square where she had first met Weiss and Shirou.

'Hard to believe it's just been a day... It feels like a week has gone by.'

Ruby broke the silence by giggling a little and leaning back on the bench they were now sitting on.

'Surprising... but yes, it's not every day that you find yourself in a partnership... can I call it that? A partnership with someone else for the next four years.'

Shirou offered with a small chuckle and Ruby nodded her head in agreement. She was partners with Blake! She's proud to be, she felt a little sorry for Yang though, but at least it wasn't her whom got Weiss – who knows what would happen if they were partners. There was so much either one of them could tolerate each other before it exploded in their faces.

'Are you happy being partners with Miss Blake?'

'I told you not to be too formal, I know Weiss likes it, but call her Blake! It makes her uncomfortable! We fought together, we're friends now!'

Ruby pouted and then pouted even more when Shirou raised an eyebrow before nodding solemnly.

'Well... I always thought it'll be good to be polite to girls... but that's another story for another time. You should have more faith in yourself, Ruby. You made good decisions in the heat of battle, have a cool head, looked out for your comrades and was willing to take control of the situation the way you did. You did really well for your age.'

Shirou was just trying to humor her and Ruby found her irritation growing slightly at how they all _keep_ saying that.

'But it's not true! Anyone could do it! I'm sure that Blake or Weiss would do better than me! And I'm... not as strong as Yang... I can't be the leader, I'm the weakest...'

'Then all you have to do is to be the strongest out of all of them and then lead them as their leader.'

Shirou's words made Ruby pause and she actually looked quite silly with her jaw dropping as she stared at Shirou. He didn't call her out out and simply waited for her to register his thoughts again.

'Why are you here, Ruby?'

'To be a huntress...'

Shirou nodded his head before asking her how she was going to achieve that.

'By being strong... I know … I need to be stronger.'

'So be strong, and then lead them, Ruby. It doesn't sound so hard now, does it?'

Shirou chuckled softly when Ruby nodded her head, a grin forming as she understood what he meant. Even if she wasn't _now_, she could be. She had to believe it to be.

'Ahaha... It really, sounds so simple when you put it that way.'

Ruby scratched her head sheepishly, it really does sound simple now and she was worrying about it all that time! She felt like a kid now...

'All you need is to believe in yourself. If you can't believe in yourself, no one would. Professor Ozpin believes in you, and so do I.'

'You do, Shirou? But... why? You... deserve to be a leader. You were so amazing out there.'

Shirou raised an eyebrow at that and Ruby pouted, she wasn't trying to butter him up!

'I mean it, you were really awesome there. I didn't know anyone could do that _with _classics like that!'

'Classics...?'

'Yes, your sword and shield... no one uses stuff like that nowadays.'

Ruby was confused when Shirou had an annoyed expression on his face before it disappeared as fast as it appeared.

'That aside, I really rather not... but since it is decided, I would abide by it and lead my team.'

'You're hardly as enthusiastic than me...'

'Yes, but even if I dislike the idea, does not mean that I do not think I can be a leader. You need to be confident in yourself, Ruby... and remember this well.'

Shirou closed one eye while pulling Ruby up from her seat as well. Guess their little rendezvous was over.

'Even if _everyone_ could have done that, you were the one who did that for real. Being able to do, doesn't mean one _can_ do it. That is the mark of a real leader. Making decisions, the hard ones, the easy ones... is expected of a leader.'

Shirou's words shook her confidence a little before it bolstered her as well and she grinned happily before skipping beside Shirou as they made their way back. It had been a while since she was so excited that she couldn't help but behave like her age just a little.

'I... I'm getting a little excited again, I blame you, Shirou.'

Ruby teased good heartedly as she was all smiles, finally having the excitement and belief surging inside her. So this should be what she was feeling when she took the first of the many steps towards being a Huntress! The anticipation and unbridled joy was amazing!

'Thank you for cheering me up, Shirou!'

After it seemed that Shirou was not going to respond to her good natured teasing, Ruby grabbed Shirou's arm to make him face her as she thanked her. She meant every word and she was disappointed when Shirou only smiled and said it wasn't a bother.

'There you go again! You're really too good for your own good.'

Shirou merely shrugged as they made their ways to their rooms in the dormitory together.

'There's nothing wrong with that, Ruby. Nothing at all...'

* * *

The two group's rooms were just opposite of each other and much to Ruby's amusement, someone had happily plastered a big piece of paper with the word: 'SNPR is here' over the door to the SNPR dormitory room. It must be Nora, Pyrrha was too mature to do something like that and Ren was in the same boat.

After Shirou had bid Ruby goodnight, the red-haired goal stopped him again to ask one last question.

'Hey... Shirou... What do you think... I can do... to become a strong leader.'

Ruby knew that because Shirou was so nice, that she could afford to act like an ignorant and innocent child. She was right there as Shirou paused before giving a small sigh. That was the first sign that he was irritated with her at all and Ruby smiled apologetically while clapping her hands together in apology.

'I... I mean if I can...'

'You should ask.'

'Huh?'

'You should ask your team what it means to be strong... but you should also have an answer. What do you think, makes a person strong.'

Shirou replied calmly to Ruby and the redhead thought for a moment before replying.

'Power? Strength?'

'If that's your answer, you have to train yourself harder... but it's also true that no matter how strong you are, there will be someone stronger. Is that really how you define strength?'

Shirou didn't understand why Ruby started giggling till she explained that she had said that before to her team mates.

'Did I tell that to you too? I can't remember.. but you're right... I need to find my answer on what I think makes me strong.'

Ruby contemplated while Shirou waited and fidgeted, he was probably finally getting impatient, but then again it could also be due to how she could hear Nora shouting at Shirou to come in and join the party every few seconds.

It would grate on her nerves too. Or maybe he was just _dreading_ to enter the room instead and was using her as an excuse to delay the inevitable. That works too.

'I guess I shouldn't... hold you up too long, Shirou.'

Ruby tested the waters and she was vindicated when Shirou stiffened, his eyes turning slightly to look at the door before forcing himself to be calm again. Shirou wasn't that hard to read once you know where to pay attention to his non-verbal cues.

But again, he was too _nice_ too say no to her or to make her stop.

'… Alright... good night, Ruby.'

Shirou voiced out hoarsely before taking a deep breath and suddenly releasing it when Ruby asked again before she entered her room.

'Hey Shirou.'

'Yes?'

'What, is your definition of strength?'

Shirou actually stiffened this time and he ran a hand through his hair awkwardly for a few moments, looking to his feet. He had actually looked very uncomfortable and Ruby felt bad for putting him on the spot. Before she could apologize and retract her question however, Shirou seemed to have made a decision and he looked at Ruby in her eyes as he answered.

'A person who lives for his ideals.'

'For his ideals?'

Ruby echoed Shirou while the knight seemed to be staring at something that Ruby couldn't see. His focus on _that _was... so strong that Ruby couldn't help but wonder _what_ exactly could make anyone show that kind of dedication and longing in something, anything at all.

..

'His ideals.'

Shirou confirmed as he suddenly realized that he had been speaking out but by then it was a little too late for him to retract his words as Ruby was hooked into his words. The child really was a child that was struggling to be an adult and Shirou found himself torn between explaining further or just stopping right here. But... it wasn't like he was explaining to her about his ideals, the last thing he needed was another distorted individual... he won't allow it.

'Ideals are something that you believe strongly about, something that you can never give up. It is tied so strongly to you that to give it up is impossible. That is one's ideals. It can be a dream, a desire, a wish, anything that your entire existence revolves around.'

'That... sounds very important... does everyone has ideals?'

Ruby asked, almost in awe and sadly for her, Shirou just shrugged non-committedly. He was not going to be baited to explain much further than he wanted to.

'Who knows... some people do, some people don't... it's not like everyone tells each other their ideals.'

'So... what's-'

'I'm sorry... my ideals... is something that I can't say.'

Shirou cut her off and that left Ruby both sad and hanging. She'll never know that Shirou's ideals was his dream, his core and the way he has lived so far up till now. But it's something he just can't tell Ruby till she was older, no use crushing a girl's dreams after all. Especially not when she clearly believes in his dream as much as a naïve child could. Or perhaps a not so naïve child, she had acknowledged the dangers of the world and path she was living in now as well.

'I'm sorry for intruding so deep, Shirou.'

Ruby managed a smile before she bowed and wished Shirou a good night before entering her room. Shirou stood there for a few minutes before deciding to bite the bullet and join in the party before Nora could drag him forcefully.

* * *

Pyrrha Nikos was conflicted and she had reason to do so as she sat thoughtfully on her bed with a glass of juice in her hand. The reason for her conflict and perplexed expression was the leader of their group.

She had no issues with Shirou being the leader of the group, in fact she thought it was a great idea as he had shown not only his skill, but also how she was able to depend on him to guard her back.

Trust was the most important in a partnership, and Shirou had more than earned that trust in the numerous time that Shirou had blocked an attack meant for her. On one hand it made her feel conflicted as she did not wish to be treated like a fragile glass statue, she was _stronger_ than that. At the same time she felt flattered as it showed that Shirou really cared for her.

He was also strong, selfless and courageous, shown when he was more than willing and able to take on the Deathstalker that had launched itself out of nowhere after he had spotted another pair of classmates running for their lives in the forest.

Guess they should have scouted the area a little more before they went to investigate, huh?

Shirou had not ran away when they met with the Death Stalker and although they were unable to kill the Grimm, they had survived and would eventually wear it down enough to kill it. Hopefully at least.

Shirou also worked well in a group, he had no problems accepting and giving orders to their fellow classmates to defend themselves against the Nevermore and Deathstalker.

Thus one could see that she did not have issues with their team leader when it came to his appointment.

Ahh, there's the problem – she did not have problem with his appointment. She had a problem with the things that he was hiding.

..

'He's strong.'

Pyrrha muttered to herself as she watched Nora pester Shirou in the impromptu house-warming that Nora had declared upon them all unpacking their bags. Pyrrha noted that she _could_ have unpacked Shirou's bag earlier to learn more about him in the pretext of unpacking for him.

Then again, Shirou would have prepared countermeasures for that and the last thing she wanted to do was to upset the bond that the two of them had formed.

He was... strong, a little too strong as he had been able to _behead_ the Nevermore with just his sword and his right arm. The sword was not even a specially crafted weapon, it was a simple sword and was apparently a heirloom that was handed down to him.

Even if the blade was sharp enough, how could one individual, even with the help of her javelin piercing deep into it's throat, be strong enough to do what others have been unable to do so with their dust enhanced attacks.

Case in point, Pyrrha had seen team RWBY's leader, Ruby being unable to blast through the Deathstalker's armour. But it was _armour_, it was supposed to protect it. But the Nevermore was just as tough, and it wasn't even covered in armour like the Deathstalker was.

To be able to behead, sever and cut away all the flesh, veins and the bone in one single move was just... it was impossible even with the sharpest sword in the world. One would need the sheer power and strength to do that, and apparently Shirou has that.

That's not even mentioning how although Shirou had unlocked his aura with her help, he has not been using it at much, or at all during the test.

Somehow or another Shirou could still heal wounds just as fast as how he could have healed with an aura.

That was just scary, really!

..

'Hey there Shirou welcome back.'

'Shirou! Come here! It's party time!'

'… Hmmm..

One could tell exactly whose greeting belonged to who and Emiya Shirou gave a small sigh before joining Nora who was trying to persuade Ren to wake up so he could join them.

'You too, Pyrrha! We need to know each other more!'

The orange-haired girl cheered mischievously while the others just blanched.

'Don't worry... Nora won't remember what happened tonight.'

Ren replied and shook his head when Shirou asked if she was drinking.

'She just has a short and bad memory.'

Ren explained with a straight face that made the other two gave small teasing smiles in understanding.

'Well then, we should start! Ren, you go first!'

* * *

'Welcome back, Ruby.'

The girls of RWBY were all settling down for their first night in Beacon Academy and after all the excitement has died down, with the exception of Yang, all of them were very tired.

Weiss had already fell asleep on her bed while Yang was still excitedly writing something while listening to her music player. It was a comforting sight and despite the room not being decorated with anything personal, it seemed quite homely to her.

'Thank you, Blake.'

Her partner for the next four years was Blake Belladonna and she was very happy and eager to learn from her. She was the best alternative to Yang, even though that was wrong by itself because she shouldn't compare anyone in that fashion, it... wasn't fair. She really did pity Yang and Weiss though, she knew that their polar opposite personalities would drive each other up the wall. They were even going to work on _assignments_ together. That would be a killer, studies were never her and Yang's strong point. Perhaps it just ran in the blood?

Talking with Shirou had helped her regain some of her confidence and she started with her first plan in getting to _lead_ and Ruby walked immediately over to her partner. She found it odd that Blake was still wearing that ribbon on her head even if she had changed to her pyjamas, but it looked cute and she didn't mind seeing _more_ of Blake dressed like that.

'Ruby, what's wrong?'

Blake adjusted herself to a ore comfortable position when Ruby sat on her bed without even changing or taking a bath. She believed it must be something important and so Blake found herself staring at Ruby incredulously when Ruby asked a simple question.

'Could you tell me how you think a good leader would be and do?'


	3. Chapter 3

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 3_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: For those sharp enough, I've decided to change the summary of the story to acknowledge that I would be deviating from some elements of RWBY canon, specifically the character's BG as well as taking some inferences from what's already released. So it's an AU cross over fic.**

**Besides that - I won't, can't, be updating so frequently so don't expect this pace to last!**

**..**

_bowpurity's note: When you have the grammar, but don't have the drive… what's second best to writing? Betaing. I write when I have something epic in mind, but other then that, I don't. Mostly I don't. I game a lot. Perhaps too much. Anyway, at times, at rare times, you encounter people who view things in a different light than you do, and it's even rarely that they take the effort to share their views with you in great detail. We need people like these, people whom help point our flaws out._

_So here's a shout out to DawningShawdows. Keep on doing what you're doing. Being kinder/rougher doesn't really matter, it's that you take an effort to help that makes you great._

_**Well, that's all I have to say.**_

* * *

If there was one thing that Weiss Schnee did not expect from her first day in Beacon Academy, it would be to sleep in. Honestly speaking, that was the whole truth.

After an entire night of dealing with an overly excited Yang, her partner for the next four years… She shuddered every time she thought of her partner – Weiss was expecting the energetic and violent blonde to wake her up before the break of dawn to plot some nefarious plot to stop her from topping her classes.

So Weiss was amazed when it was their leader, Ruby, who woke her up softly and reminding her that classes was going to start in half an hour's time.

It was an acceptable time to wake up and Weiss rubbed her eyes sleepily while returning the soft greetings from Ruby. To her delight, she had no choice but to re-evaluate the younger sister of her partner as being a sensible girl.

Granted Yang might have been on to something by saying that they had gotten off on the wrong foot. Weiss had been… a little judgemental and quick tempered with her labelling of Ruby. It was another evaluation she had to do in two days and it was killing her confidence in a large degree to be wrong on two counts.

Still, it could be worse, much worse, something she had repeatedly reminded herself so many times since the fact that she was partners with Yang finally sank in. She was going to have to work with assignments with that dumb blonde. How bad could it be? She wanted to be the _top_ of her class and to be the best Huntress as worthy of the Schnee name. Why did this have to happen to her?

'Good morning Ruby.'

Weiss replied while stretching and the first thing she did when she was fully awake was to stretch to get rid of the kinks in her body. She was used to practising her forms in fencing for hours at a time when home and it had been a while since she was able to sleep in just a little.

Weiss frowned as she felt some cricks and rolled her shoulders for a while till she was satisfied. She slipped out of bed to see what the rest of her team mates was doing. Ruby was already dressed and ready and was currently tapping her scroll impatiently while speaking with a more relaxed Blake.

Weiss was unsure of Blake as personally speaking she was a little miffed at how the raven-haired girl had both praised and insulted her in their first meeting. By right she should be mad at anyone who says anything against her family – but since Blake had commented on her family's business, Weiss was able to sort of... forgive Blake as she might just be listening to heresy.

Weiss would never believe that the company that her parents set up would stoop so low to even trample on human rights! They were the Schnee Family, they were above most of the rabble.

Blake and Ruby had proven that they were at least above the rabble at least, the pair was accepted into Beacon together with the uncouth Yang and had proven their skills in a real combat situation. Ruby had been impressive, but Blake even more as she had saved her in combat when the Nevermore Grimm had gotten a little too close for her to react and guard herself properly.

Blake had pulled Weiss to safety and even blocked the follow-up attack that sent her flying away. It was even more impressive when she landed perfectly on her feet after the blow, dashing forward to jump back into the fray. If Weiss hadn't thought the idea was ridiculous, she would have thought that Blake was a cat from the way she was so nimble and the way she fought, sliding in and out of combat easily while not repeating her pattern of attacks. She was fickle and picky with her slashes and stabs and would only get close in the most awkward position for her enemy, striking before they could recover to strike her back..

It was a style that Weiss found to be pure genius and also extremely cowardly, once again Blake had successfully made her conflicted in how to view her. Perhaps she should treat Blake in the same conflicted way that the girl was making her feel? Turnabout was fair play, yes?

No, that was not deeming of a member of the Schnee family, she was _above_ that.

'Good Morning Blake.'

Weiss gave the raven-haired girl a smile for politeness sake, they were her team members and even if she _was _disappointed that she wasn't the leader, she had made peace with the idea over night. She'll have more freedom to train instead of being saddled with the unenviable task of reining in Yang.

Speaking of Yang...

..

'Goood Morning Weiss! Ready for our first day at Beacon in a team?'

The dumb blonde popped out of the shower with her hair wrapped up with the towel for it to dry. One thing Weiss agreed with Yang was how daily grooming and maintaining of their hair was important. Call her vain, but the Schnee must _look_ the part and despite herself being appalled by Yang's manners...

Yang was much better in taking care of her looks than Weiss had ever thought anyone could be, much less an impatient and uncouth person like Yang. From the way Yang took care of her hair religiously Weiss hadn't been too surprised to learn from Yang that it in the land that their mother's grew up in, the way hair was written was similar to the word 'god. Yang had lapped up that story and treated her hair like a treasure, something which girls do in their mother's homeland so it wasn't without precedent.

Weiss was tempted to push Yang away or to at least given a scoff to her question but refrained from doing so. Yang was stating the obvious, of course she was ready. She had trained and studied so _hard _for this, there was no way she wasn't ready for class at all!

* * *

She was not ready for class at Beacon.

Weiss was tempted to just cut her losses and to allow Professor Peter Port to stop her disastrous spar with the Boarbatusk. Her form was perfect but her desire to impress Professor Peter as well as the other members of her class had meant that her initial attack had not been sufficient to pierce the armor of the Boarbatusk. It was either stronger than it looked, or maybe she had channelled the wrong amount of dust onto her attack.

Her weapon, Myrtenaster, was a Multi Action Dust Rapier (MADR) modified to include several different chambers filled with specific refined dust to boost her semblence's abilities. It allows her to freely boost her attack and defense capabilities beyond what her glyphs normally provide her.

She had initially decided to end it quickly, Weiss had selected the red dust to end the spar in a single hit, but it failed to even deter the boar like Grimm as it charged at her, successfully disarming her as her rapier was caught between the tusks of the boar as she leapt over it.

The pair had then started playing a game of cat and mouse and much to Weiss's horror, she could hear Professor Peter narrating the entire scene to the class. She might have preferred it if it had ended her misery right now, but she would see this to the end, for better or worse.

The Grimm and foes that she had fought before prior to Beacon had been much easier to dispose off, perhaps all of her 'tests' that were conducted by her family was just to boost her confidence? Weiss didn't quite believe it, the scar that she received after fighting the Giant Armour was all too real and would always remind her of what _would_ happen to her if she dared held back or never give her all.

This Boarbatusk was still a little too strong for her liking and Weiss found herself scowling in frustration as she rolled to the side easily to dodge another attempt by the Boarbatusk to run her through.

If only she could get her weapon, she could end it now!

'Get her, Weiss!'

As if she had been in her own world all long, the moment Weiss dropped her tunnel vision on the Boarbatusk, Weiss heard Yang cheering her on. She did not need that blonde to cheer her on like she was _losing_. To make matters worse Blake was waving around a small flag with the team of their team written on it in encouragement.

Great, kill her now, death would be preferable than this humiliation. She _did_ not need to be looked down on! She could win this easily!

Despite herself, Weiss turned to look at the last member of her team, Ruby Rose, and instead of seeing her joining her sister in cheering for her, Ruby met her eye before mouthing something that made her want to groan in exasperation.

The words from Ruby were noted, but Weiss Schnee really hated being owed a favor. Just like Emiya Shirou before, Ruby Rose was on the top of Weiss's love/hate list.

It really was complicated being a member of the Schnee Family.

..

The advice was very helpful however as the next time the Boaratusk charged at her, Weiss waited for that precise moment where she could jump in the air – only to grab hold of Myrtenaster and with the additional momentum provided from her glyphs, to pull the Grimm flat on it's back. Triumphantly and wordlessly Weiss stabbed the Boaratusk through with Myrtenaster and to be extra throughout, activated the white dust to freeze the entire Grimm from inside to the out.

It was a very satisfying kill and the judging and calculating looks from more than one of her classmates made her happy as she wanted a reputation that was beyond that of her being the Schnee heiress. However on the same boat she had revealed some of flashier moves with that simple spar, it would be... a little harder for her if she get to spar with her classmates in the future.

However it all evened out if she was able to intimidate someone else with just one of her abilities that she could do with Myrtenaster.

As Professor Peter clapped his hands and applauded the way she had handled the Grimm, Weiss found herself matching gazes with Emiya Shirou. She had not fully repaid the favor that the team leader of SNPR had given her two days before. Her Schnee pride demands that he be thanked more for what he had done for her so far. He had not only been the only person to treat her in the right way, he had watched all of their backs in the fight with the Nevermore Grimm.

So she owed him a debt of honour, that would be what her father would say and Weiss _always_ repays her favour.

The look that Shirou made her feel like he was looking through her entire soul... no, that wasn't actually right, Shirou was staring at her weapon intently. So he was impressed with Myrtenaster? He should be! Perhaps he wanted something similar to replace that dingy old thing that he was wielding all this time?

'I knew you could do it, Weiss!'

Before Weiss could think more, Yang had jumped her from in front – it was startling that the blonde could move so quietly, or had she had her mind in the clouds for too long to even notice that?

If that was the case, Weiss really had to have more situational awareness to keep her image and pride for Weiss found herself greatly unamused at how Yang had lifted her up like a doll in the big hug she was giving.

Granted, considering what goes through that blonde's head, she might even view _her_ like a doll like she had feared.

'Please let me go, Yang! This is unsightly!'

Weiss patted Yang's arms frantically for her to stop, hoping that she did not need to raise her voice unless she really needed it. Weiss was spared from making that decision as Team SNPR joined them and Nora managed to stop Yang by demanding a hug from the blonde as well. Unsurprisingly Yang did and that allowed Weiss to catch her breath as the two teams interact with each other.

..

'So Weiss, how is _your _team so far? Mine's great! Even if Nora might be loud. But she makes up for Ren being quiet.'

Pyrrha slipped into a matching pace with Weiss as the red head grinned at her. The above mentioned boy, Ren was it, gave Weiss a small nod even as his eyelids struggled to fight the battle to stay awake.

With that silly grin on Pyrrha's face, Weiss couldn't help but feel that the world was a little too complicated for her liking. To her it looked like Pyrrha was bubbly with excitement and happiness with being with such, _interesting_ individuals.

But what was there to be excited about? The redhead in front of her was the strongest combatant of the entire first year, Weiss truly believed that but Pyrrha had not matched up to what Weiss had imagined a powerful Huntress would look like. In fact, Pyrrha behaved downright oddly and would be a good match with Yang at times. Despite sharing some traits with the blonde that was her partner, Weiss couldn't speak to her or tell Phyrra her opinion like how she did with Yang. For Yang's case it was simply because her words simply did not make an impact on the blonde for long. She was too confident to let Weiss's words affect her, a good and a bad thing rolled together into one.

Lastly, it wouldn't be polite for her to tell Pyrrha that when she barely knew her, and it was none of _her_ business what and how Pyrrha wanted to be. If she had an image of Pyrrha that she did not meet up to, Pyrrha had no need to humour or to live up to those expectations.

'… It is hard for me to find a word to describe my team... But if you must know, we are still getting to know each other.'

Weiss eventually conceded while replying matter-of-factly to Pyrrha. It was difficult being a Schnee, every action would subsequently be judged no matter what she did.

Together with her team and SNPR, the group of eight individuals made their way to the other class.

* * *

Lie Ren was a complicated individual, it was something that no one has managed to figure out since since his meeting with Nora Valkyrie. It seemed just like yesterday when the orange-haired girl that he was happy to call his best friend barged into his life when he was doing his utmost best to fall asleep. She had announced her name, asked for his, grabbed his hand and dragged him away to play without Ren managing or even telling her his name. Perhaps it was Nora that permanently stunted his social skills? That was probably closer to the truth then Ren was willing to admit.

Subsequently since their first meeting, Ren had never gotten the opportunity to nap more than fifteen minutes despite one of his favourites hobbies of all time was to _sleep. _But they were talking about Nora here, the bundle of limitless energy had never been down ever since he met her. She had never fallen sick and that they had practically been joined at the hips ever since Ren had not pushed Nora away.

Yes, Nora was the one that needed a friend, not Ren, and over the years it had became apparent that Nora needed him more than he needed her. But Ren would never tell Nora that, not for the sake of his safety – but rather to protect the innocence that Nora has since then and still carries with her now.

..

But yes, Lie Ren was a complicated individual as he was in his own humble opinion, a tactical genius that never had the opportunity or the drive to apply his genius on a practical level. All of his energy and effort was spent on trying to curtail Nora's destructive and impulsive tendencies. Nora was a genius in her own right, he would _never_ have imagined that anyone could be so efficient in destroying things.

But he should have known better, who else would have managed to design and craft out a weapon like Magnhild when she was a child. Ren can still remember that day fondly and with a healthy dose of unease as Nora had simply walked up to him and declared that she _knew_ what her weapon was going to be as it was told to her in her dreams.

Oh that's right, he had not particularly wished to be a Huntsmen, he was kind of being dragged along for the ride by Nora but he could see the plus points there as well. Being a Huntsman was a respected occupation and if he played his cards right, the two of them could take out enough Grimms to ensure that they would never need to work for the rest of their lives. It was amazingly practical that way, and dare he say it? Hardly troublesome at all.

..

Nora had always been the offensive power behind the two of them and Ren was happy being at the back to guide and herd the Grimms to Nora's direction. Thus Ren was out of his comfort zone when he found himself isolated in the Emerald Forest. Ren was confident in his abilities but taking on two of the King Taijitu had expended a lot more energy than he had. He was never a front line fighter and his weapons, Stormflower did not have the raw power that Nora had.

Ren noted with a little resentment that Nora could have given a helping hand when she popped up hardly a moment later after he took the two Grimms out. Then again, knowing Grimm's tendencies to mob and gather together, Nora might have already did that and was just regrouping with him. Nevertheless, the two of them were partners just like Nora wanted and he was satisfied with the situation.

As long as things weren't _troublesome_ he wouldn't mind.

Of course, the gods would not give him that mercy when Nora managed to garner the attention of the biggest Grimm he had even seen in his entire life. The Nevermore was huge, it must be the head of it's flock or something and Ren had no idea _how_ Nora had even gotten the attention of something like that. On second thought – he did no wish to know, or to ask her about it.

It would have been tactical suicide to rush the Nevermore since it was raining attacks on them without a care of the destruction it would wrought on the surroundings. The best option they had was to run, even if it might hurt others that might be caught in the crossfire – something that was eventually happened when the two of them had ran into another group of students when they finally reached their objective.

Then things got even more interesting when they teamed up with three other pairs to take out two of the toughest Grimms he had ever faced or seen.

..

He had conserved his strength during that fight. His eye naturally kept track of Nora and his hastily teamed up fellow students and to his surprise, he found that they were doing well, almost too well for one particular individual that was now his team leader.

Emiya Shirou, the man was perhaps as lazy as he was – or he was simply holding back his strength. Ren noted several times when Shirou _could_ have ended the encounter decisively, the first being the time when he would have had ample time to ram his sword into the mouth of the Deathstalker and the other when he was well within positioned to stab the Nevermore's heart when it fell to the ground.

On neither occasions did Shirou did so, the man bracing himself with his shield and taking each counterattack the grims sent with an unnatural sense of calm. Ren wasn't sure, but it seemed that Shirou was pacing himself to not make himself stand out. Ren would know, it was part of his game plan to stay hidden, behind the front line to provide as much support to Nora as possible. Then again, perhaps Shirou was like himself, and instead of being a supporter in the backline, he was a supporter in the frontline instead. It was an odd concept to him, but seeing that Shirou had enough strength to take the attacks and deliver the killing blow, Ren found himself slightly envying the fact.

Of course, things went for the worst when Nora had enthusiastically decided on a whim that Ren would help out by launching him into the air towards the flying Nevermore to attack it's eyes.

Strategically it was sound, but being sent flying when he wasn't meant to fly was, troublesome. But Nora being Nora, he didn't had the time nor thought to persuade her in battle. Before he knew it, Shirou barked his agreement and Ren found himself doing just that.

Shirou's commanding tone as he took charge of the fight made Ren shiver again, Shirou had more than just potential to lead. So, Ren was also very satisfied about his team – the last thing he needed was to take charge because his leader was incompetent. That would be – troublesome to say the least.

..

When the results of the team placements were announced, Ren was relieved and apprehensive at the same time. Shirou was chosen as the leader and he had no problems with that – the red head Pyrrha who was his partner was very skilled in her own right and he himself had years of experience working with Nora. They were a well knit group composed of his own preference and ability to support from the back, Shirou taking point along with Pyrrha coupled with Nora's destructive power making them decently balanced.

It finally looks like things were falling into places for Ren and if this continued – he might be able to catch up on all the sleep that he has lost on since childhood. A very tall order, but one that he could hope for.

Nora had, of course, destroyed that hope by making all of them stay up at night to get to know each other while telling the rest _all_ about herself, what she liked, what she liked doing, what her relationship with Ren was and some other things. It was too much for him, that Ren tuned it all of. He knew from a long time back there was no way he was going to be able to stop Nora in time, and so had taken to only tell Nora the things that he was _comfortable_ in telling others about. That and Nora wasn't dumb, in her own endearingly frustrating energetic fashion, she was trying to get the team to know each other and be comfortable with each other.

In retrospect, having Nora going all hyperdrive all over them could also be a way to ensure that the other two was preempted to the limitless energy that Nora possessed and not start questioning Nora's excitability in the future.

If that was Nora's intent, she probably should have saved the effort and let Ren sleep in for the two of them accepted the two of them without question.

Pyrrha was a piece of work herself, able to patiently listen to Nora's rapid subject change with an albeit, somewhat strained smile but was still happy to be in a team with another girl.

Shirou himself had only joined them later in the night but had listened and introduced himself without showing any signs of discomfort.

That was both relieving and disturbing – it suggested that either the two of them were saints practised in the art of patience or they were just as eccentric as Nora was. That was going to be, troublesome.

He was repeating that line in his internal monologue repeatedly since joining Beacon, all he needed was the ability to use shadows... wait, where did that come from anyway?

..

Even with such troubling prospects in the horizon, Ren was still cautiously optimistic about his life in Beacon Academy when it became clear that none of his team mates were jumping at the opportunity to showboat and were content to stay below the radar. That was good, until _something_ had to happen to prove that wrong.

* * *

'What did you get, Ren?'

'There's only one thing to get if you are going to eat at the class cafeteria, Nora...'

Ren mumbled while fighting the urge to yawn, the lecture by Professor Peter Port was boring to say the least and even if he wanted to take a small nap in one of his unrelated stories, they were unfortunately too short for a proper nap and too long for a power nap.

Not to mention Nora made it practically impossible with her constant fidgeting and doodling on her scroll.

It wasn't surprising that Nora wasn't able to sit still in classes. In tests, her marks for theory were atrocious and the opposite was true for practical applied tests, which she excelled in. Like Ren said, she was a genius in other areas.

'Oh, right! But what about dessert?'

'There's only one dessert as well, Nora.'

Ren mumbled as he looked around for their teammates who had gone ahead to get a seat for them only to spot a recognizable red head in the distant looking on at a group of other first year students. He couldn't see what was going on from where he was but he knew it was going to be _troublesome_. This was going to be a trend, wasn't it?

'What's going on? Let's go look, Ren!'

Nora pulled the reluctant boy with her to join the crowd and when they got closer, they could see Shirou helping a young girl with rabbit ears up from the floor, a spilled tray full of food lying besides her and her uniform being chocked full of the same stains.

'Is that a faunus?'

Nora asked curiously and excitedly, no doubt staring at her ears while Ren sighed internally. Great, so his leader was as knightly as his nickname that was given by the other team, RWBY.

..

'Are you alright?'

Shirou asked the shivering girl who nodded her head while looking back at Shirou n a mixture of apprehension, gratefulness and fear all rolled into one.

It made Shirou boiling mad to see anyone bully the weak, and even if Beacon was supposedly filled with aspiring Huntresses and Huntsmen, the fact was that it was still a school filled with adolescents meant that there were still going to be dregs of society mixed within the pot of 'good' that was currently being stirred and prepared.

He was not going to mince words for people who totally deserve being called that.

'Hey hey, playing the hero there?'

The leader of CRDL, Cardin Winchester looked at the two of them with a sneer on his head before scoffing at Shirou shrugging at him.

'Well you shouldn't get involved with _that-'_

Anything that Cardin was about to say was cut off by Shirou stating that compared to an ignorant racist whom can't see beyond looks , he would be happier to spend time with a girl like her.

'My name is Shirou, Emiya Shirou, please, call me Shirou.'

Offering a hand to the faunus girl, Shirou nodded when she introduced herself as Velvet and the two of them were about to leave when Cardin grabbed Shirou's shoulders roughly to stop him.

'What's the big idea punk, you're really pissing me off. You think _that _is better than me, huh?'

Cardin growled threateningly but Shirou was unfazed as he rested his own hand on Cardin's, peeling him back easily as the blonde grimaced in pain at the pressure Shirou was placing on his hand.

'Yes, calling other individuals as _things_, is something that can not be forgiven.'

'W-What? Forgiveness? The hell am I going to be forgiven by someone like YOU!'

Cardin roared due to his injured pride and he swung heavily at Shirou.

To the surprise of everyone including himself, he did hit the man square on the cheek. The blow sent Shirou staggering a few steps back but otherwise he looked fine. The shock of him standing was nothing compared to how he looked so unconcerned about being punched.

The Faunus girl simply looked terrified as she asked him if he was hurt but he simply waved her off with a reassuring smile and a pet on her shoulder.

'So... that's how a team leader behaves in Beacon?'

Shirou asked in a conversational tone while rubbing his jaw, his calm and relaxed demeanour was betrayed by the icy look that he was showing Cardin and the leader of CRDL fought hard not to show the shudder of fear from his killing intent focused solely on him.

'I expected more from the academy that promised to grow and nurture Huntsmen and Huntresses... or perhaps they slipped up when they allowed you in... but what kind of admin lapse would it be for them to appoint _you_ as the team leader.'

The word 'you' was said with a sneer, the same kind and tone that Cardin had used on the faunus girl and when it was redirected to _himself_ it stung and it stung bad.

'You will be hearing from the headmaster about an unprovoked attack on another fellow student, Mr Winchester, I wish you a good evening.'

Shirou gave a mock bow before leading and guiding the awed Faunus girl back to his partner, the red-head who was now looking at the scene with satisfaction and a hint of amusement.

* * *

Ren decided at that very moment that even if his team leader might be troublesome in that he wishes to play a hero – he certainly have the means to make it _less troublesome_ if he could get out of situations by himself like that.

Wait, that came out wrong. Either way it was going to be troublesome if he was going to attract attention to himself!

This was not the life that he was expecting at Beacon at all.


	4. Chapter 4

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 4_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: This chapter deviates largely from canon, so it's AU time. It'll be a hit or miss, hopefully a hit, but who knows?**

**Inspiration for this came mostly from the Yellow Trailer, and Yang is scorching there, really. I'm asian, so calling her Xiao Long isn't wrong, calling her _Yang_ is odd though so that's partly why I made this back story for her. Oh, and before I forget - here's to you, _Kisdota-The Freak Gamer_, if not for your constant updates with RWBY, I wouldn't be here sharing this story in the first place. Thank you guys for your support, and I really loved your guy's reviews, both positive and criticisms that makes me rethink my work. Keep them coming! If it isn't obvious, bowpurity is my beta + my co-author for this.**

**..**

_bowpurity's notes: What's with this ridiculous ball bouncing dual screen fighting system of World ends with you?  
Comments on this chapter? let's see..Yang, Yang. More Yang. She kinda reminds me of Elsword's Rena Windsneaker, don't you think?  
Enjoy.  
_

* * *

Yang Xiao Long was a confident person, that much, anyone could attest to as the spitfire blonde was full of spunk and sass all packed in a great body. She was vindicated on that last point at least for she had even seen women stare at her at the changing room at Signal Academy.

All of that combined together made people believe that it would be impossible or at least insufferable to work with her. That was totally not true, Xiao Long knew how to work in a team. Sometimes she just preferred to do things off the well trodden path.

In truth, the blonde was just someone who is very easily bored and difficult to entertain. She wasn't a perfectionist, but she always hated doing things the conventional way as it was so boring.

She was a being of chaos, a troublemaker and she prided herself on being called a mischievous prankster when she was of a younger age – using tricks and acts of mischief that sent the teachers up to a frenzy at the sheer audacity of her acts.

Still, age and maturity did catch up with Yang in the end and the blonde found herself having to do so partly due to her young sister, Ruby.

The more havoc and trouble she caused, the more scrutiny and pressure fell on her younger sister to perform better than _her_ and they did apply a lot of pressure and expectations on Ruby that was uncalled for in her eye.

Xiao Long was the older sister after all and by not acting her age and status in the family, she was making it difficult for her younger sister. Her mother was from the East and as their main care taker, meant that the culture they were brought up in was very different from what the typical family would live in in Vale.

Seeing her sister being put under such scrutiny was not what Xiao Long wanted as she loves her sister very much and would do anything for her. So she had 'grown up' and acted her age for once when she was enrolled into Signal Academy to take the pressure off Ruby.

She had excelled there, learning the style of her mother's side as well as incorporating the technical genius and know-how of her father to create Ember Celica, which she still considered her best work so far.

However Xiao Long's mischievous and brazen nature hadn't been completed stamped out during her time in Signal Academy, she had hit puberty then and was taking great joy in pride at her growth from a scrawny tomboyish girl to a fully fledged woman.

It hadn't happened overnight but long hours slaving at the workshop in large unattractive overalls, masks and gloves while handling machinery had hidden her growth spurt till she had finished Ember Celica.

Xiao Long had very much enjoyed the attention that _everyone_ had given her the moment she had stepped out of the workshop and was in her casual clothes. They clothes were... a little tighter than she remembered...

Then again, she had nearly slept and lived in the workshop for a period of three months to perfect Ember Celica and everyone was staring at her like they had never seen her before.

Xiao Long admitted that perhaps the sweat and the grime from all the machinery, not to mention how covered she had been, would have not made her look attractive. But it had been borderline insulting when some of the workshop masters that had helped her in those few months had the cheek to declare that they didn't think she was a _woman_ at all. Xiao Long was mad, but refrained herself as she had hardly been the best role model of a girl, and certainly didn't act the part when she had taken her studies seriously in Signal Academy. She had taken her studies seriously. She had a younger sister to influence and as the role model in her life, she had to suppress the side of her that was screaming at her to stop following the expectations of her family to be a Huntress and do _something__else _with her life. Yes, Yang Xiao Long's dream had never been to be a Huntress, her family expected her to and she had to follow the expectations to not disappoint her family just a little bit more. It was even worse when Ruby looked up to her and was dying to be a Huntress herself.

As a side note, Ruby had spent around the same time in the same old workshop to finish Crescent Rose and she hadn't came up with the _wonder chest_ that Xiao Long's friends had teased and were jealous about. Perhaps it was the genes, she did take after her father's side more while Ruby resembled her mother much more.

..

Surprisingly, spending long hours working machinery in a hot and sweaty environment was enough to give her a lean figure, complete with muscles on her arms and legs. At the same time, her figure grew to what she looked like now. So working in a workshop for long hours and for an extended period could make one come out hotter than ever, go figure!

The moment the unflattering clothes and the harsh working conditions were removed from the equation and Xiao Long was able to be _herself_ again after topping the top of her classes in Signal for the first two years. All bets were off and the true Yang Xiao Long was revealed to the unprepared world.

However, no matter one's figure and looks, it was still a person's personality that pays a huge part on the impression one had on others. Xiao Long was able to flaunt her looks easily due to how she was like before and soon after discovering that her looks was enough to drive most, if not all the male population crazy, she went to wage war on all fronts.

First she took a very close look at the dressing requirements of Signal Academy and went to town with it, tossing her less than flattering jeans and loose T-shirts to the thrash and starting on a whole new image for herself. It was Xiao Long's first foray into the world of woman cosmetics, beauty products and every single bit of apparel than you could think of.

It took her the better half of two weeks, before she re-emerged with the now provocative outfit that had almost caused her to be kicked out of Signal. Only be calmly and methodically explaining how every single piece of clothing she wore were within regulations at the school council saved her. Thereafter she rubbed her hands together, cackled madly in glee and sashayed out of the room with a devil-like grin.

The discipline mistress was left spluttering in outrage and in horror at unleashing that girl who had brains, looks and was developing the wiles to exploit her advantage in every single possible way into the world.

She wasn't sure if she should be horrified or proud at Yang Xiao Long for having the mentality and _maturity _to start developing the art of seduction at such a young age. On one hand, seduction was ultimately inefficient way in a world where the Grimm were the biggest threat but on the other, she was witnessing a Huntress in training bloom in front of her in Signal Academy

..

Now Xiao Long was not about to claim that she has no interest in guys, nor was she disinterested in the possibility of having a true, genuine relationship with someone who both respected her as a person and for her strength. She knew however that most individuals who approached her of the male variety were interested in her body and she took great pleasure to string them up before mercilessly showing that she _wasn't_ some blonde bimbo who was trolling for trouble.

She was proud of herself, of her body and her own ability. She was not going to bow down to some jerk who thought that she would be an easy pick up due to her dress.

To tell the truth, Xiao Long had that exact thought in mind when she decided on her new outfit, complete with her own personal symbol showed predominantly on her chest. She chose those threads for the woman that she _wanted_ to become and not the girl that she now was. It was time to change but she knew that there were plenty of individuals who would never treat her like an equal due to her body and she was loathe to hide it because of them.

So instead of hiding it, Xiao Long decided to flaunt it. If she had it, she might as well use it, right?

Her fiery personality was something she was proud of too and soon Xiao Long had built up a reputation to warrant a 'see but no touch' approach in Signal Academy. It was something that she was both satisfied and worried about simply because her reputation would often precede her and made it harder for her to live up or to dismiss the expectations that others had of her.

On the other hand though, Xiao Long was also able to identify the intent of individuals who tried to befriend her quite easily.

It was a double edged sword that she was resigned to carry by the end of her time in Signal.

..

However it wasn't all sunshine and roses, nor did she magically get gifted with all the strength, speed, confidence and respect that carried with her now in Beacon. No, it took all she had to give during her time in Signal to earn that. The interactions, history and people there gave Xiao Long little time to grow up and to fit the role and image of the woman she _wanted_ to be. She would later look back and laugh at how naive she was than to embark on such an ambitious plan, sometimes toying with others till the big boys started taking notice of her. She had to be prepared to give everything she had then to not be played like how she had played others. It was a dangerous game of cat and mouse, politics, intrigue and outright competition and rivalry in Signals and she found herself thankful that Ruby was shielded from this darker scene in the academy.

Xiao Long should have expected that – she had been playing with toy poodles when the big dogs were just around the corner and she had fought harder than ever to earn _her_ place in the deep dark underground world that she was sure that no _ordinary _student had to deal with.

Looking back however, Yang found that her time in Signal was still the best time she ever had. She had always gone against the norm before and being placed in a sink or swim situation was living a dream that she might _never_ experience again. She was innocent then… and like all responsible people, she had quickly lost the last shred of innocence that she possessed.

Incidentally it was also the time when she made Ruby call her Yang instead of Xiao Long. She did not wish for her sister to be caught up with the _Drake _of Signal (Being called the Little Dragon was lame) when her fame and reputation was growing.

Yang was truly in her element in the last year of Signal, her reputation only grew together with the growth of her skills and she was ready to take on another challenge, this time as part of Beacon Academy.

She had also made sure that her sister would be properly looked after in Signals and thus was both horrified to find out that her baby sister had taken on that notorious criminal Roman Torchwick and was accepted into Beacon the same time she was.

A part of her wanted to shelter Ruby from what _would_ no doubt happen in Beacon. The world was harsh and difficult after all and she wanted her sister to enjoy her childhood a little longer. It wasn't the Grimm that was the problem, it was everything else associated with being a Huntress that made it difficult. Yang truly did not wish to be a Huntress, but if she could prove her credentials to be one of the best, any other route she wanted to take would be open to her. But now that Ruby was enrolling with her, Yang wanted to protect her the best she could. Even the normally rebellious other part of her was also telling herself that if Ruby had her there as a guide, it might be better than having to grope around the darkness like she did.

Ruby... she loved her baby sister so much and she had not failed to notice how her sister had gotten mellower after her drastic change in Signal, she had failed in her task to relieve some of the pressure from Ruby despite being an exceptional candidate in Signal. They just couldn't accept how Yang was so flamboyant, a devil-may-care attitude that was far away from the traditional demure and supportive role a woman _has_ to play in an Eastern family.

By going to Beacon with Ruby, Yang could help guide Ruby and help her in making social contact with others. She was socially awkward, unlike her and it was going to cause problems,especially since she _wasn't_ ready for Beacon and the potential dangers both inside and outside of the school. The last thing she wanted was for her sister to be taken advantage of.

..

So Yang had came to Beacon expecting something going on below or between the scenes of Beacon Academy. She had been ready to kick ass, take names and subsequently, to carve another legend after riding on the success of her stint in Signal. She had been woefully over-prepared as no one had approached her, no one had even recognized her as _none_ of her closest friends who had been in the know had been accepted into Beacon.

Even if that was the case, Yang was sure that someone would approach her eventually to pull her into the dark side of a school that dealt with life and death situations on a daily basis.

The first day was met with deafening silence. Yang had even tried to stir up some trouble by staying awake and bothering the hell out of the Schnee Heiress. She had been so _sure_ that the Schnee Group had some dealings with the shady underworld that operated behind the scenes of combat schools like Signal.

After all hasn't she seen her share of underground matches that often resulted in severe injuries or even death? Yang had seen a lot for someone her age and besides the usual norm of underground betting betting circles, exchange of drugs and handling of weapons, Yang had also seen some traces of human trafficking that made her sick to the bone.

However Yang could do _nothing_ about it as she wasn't as influential or powerful as she liked. She was good, she was respected but only if she minded her _own_ business. If she interfered, she would have to deal with the consequences and she knew that she would be unable to protect Ruby _and_ herself if that truly happened.

The Schnee Group, or the Schnee Dust Company was one of the wealthiest groups in the world and to have achieved that without some kind of illicit trading was just laughable. Still, it looked like that heiress was not brought up to the full truth of her organisation.  
It was kind of disappointing in a way, Yang had seen more with her pair of eyes than that privileged girl had ever seen and she was suggesting that she was better than _everyone _else? That was laughable by itself and Yang would love to tell that to her face if she could.

The other girl, Blake Belladonna had been more interesting and Yang could tell that the girl was overly cautious to a fault despite her attempts to portray herself as calm and cool as ice. Yang was an old eye at reading the subtle movements of people and was sharp enough to spot how Blake's ribbon twitched ever so slightly when she couldn't hold her emotions in check.

That girl had a secret that she was withholding from everyone and Yang found herself liking that girl as she _might_ have the same experiences she did.

What made her day however was the boy who had befriended her sister, Emiya Shirou. Yang had been prepared to give the wannabe smooth talker a piece of her mind, or an imprint of Ember Celica in his face. Instead Yang found herself respecting the boy who had impressed her as well with the absolute control he had with his emotions. His emotions were _all _fake as Shirou was just a little _too_ perfect with his responses for her liking. It might be that she was over thinking things, but the distance that Shirou gave _all_ of them whether socially or physically was enough for her to forestall the big sister talk she was dying to give one of Ruby's guy friends.

That and Shirou's eyes had not even wandered anywhere below eye level when they spoke and the boy did not even size her up. He had simply acknowledged and introduced himself without any additional interest in knowing a friend's sister. Or perhaps he was trying to hide the fact that he _knew_ about her and was not going to be caught showing that. Either way, he was an intriguing figure that Yang would need to pay attention to.

..

The second day was when things got interesting and that was not counting how she ended up being partners with the Schnee Heiress by sheer luck. She would _never_ allowed Ruby to be partners with her, the chance that her partner would get caught up in _her_ trouble when her reputation caught up with her was too high for her liking. Getting the Schnee heiress as her partner must be some kind of sick joke that made Yang want to laugh until it hurts. It would either lead her to the dirty secrets of the Schnee Group or she would get the first glimpse as Weiss Schnee is caught up in the darkness of her own corporate group that she was going to take over.

Wait, why was she so excited to go back to living life in the 'law be damned underworld again'? With one of the biggest corporation in the world no less, she must have a death wish! It must be in her blood or something, or she just loved riding her bike, Bumblebee, and living life on the edge where she could feel _alive_.

Blake Belladonna however would be a good partner to be with as she was more sure than ever that the black haired hottie, yes Blake was hot, had more than just her lineage to hide. Yang wasn't a hundred percent sure, but she was pretty sure that Blake didn't sleep for the first night and was constantly monitoring the entire room cautiously as if she was expecting an attack to come at any quarter. Yang herself wasn't fully asleep herself and would have approached Blake to know her better if not for the fear that she might scare her off seeing how jumpy Blake was already.

Then came the fight with the Nevermore and the Deathstalker. Yang had to hold back her more devastating attacks to avoid getting her friends and allies caught in the crossfire, but they were _still_ tougher than any other Grimm she had faced before. She was pretty confident that she could still take them out though but it was the actions of Emiya Shirou that caught her eye – the look he had in his eye as he called formation, the surety of his stances and the way his entire demeanor changed when he spotted someone was in danger. Yang had heard Weiss and Ruby call Shirou a 'knight' before and she thought that they had done it as a joke or as a way to poke fun at how stiff the boy was.

That changed as now, she honestly believed that Shirou could be one as he was overly concerned and cautious when it came to his comrades being in danger and not himself. He simply did not care for his well being and it showed when he had pushed Blake away from a particularly punishing peck from the Nevermore. Yang was sure that Shirou would be killed then, but his shield came up just in time to deflect the blow but knocked him down as a result. If it wasn't for Ruby, Shirou would no doubt be unable to block the next attack.

Lastly, Yang was surprised when Shirou actually did something offensive, lopping off the Nevermore's head to end the fight when it became a little too dangerous even for her. She wasn't certain if he had slipped up in hiding his strength, but nonetheless, she appreciated the gesture. She knew there and then that Shirou was hiding _something_ from the others but understood that decisiveness. Still, if it came back to endanger her or her sister, all bets were off.

..

However she did not expect that Emiya Shirou would do _that_ in the first official day of class. Saving a damsel in distress like something out of a cheesy b-flick and placing a douchebag's entire Huntsman career on the line...

It was, freaking brilliant! She totally have to reward him strictly due to the the balls that he _had_ to have to do all of that in public ad she waved excitedly at the team of SNPR together with the Faunus girl as they were looking for a seat.

Most of their fellow classmates were either trying desperately to avoid looking at them, scowling in discontent or just looking shell shocked.

Yang did not comment on how Blake had a small blush and a very slight but unmistakable smile on her face as she had more or less knew what secret the black-haired girl was thinking about. Her sister however was just as excited as she was, looking proud and happy and was urging them to join their group. The last member of RWBY, Weiss Schnee looked torn as she was rubbing a hand against her forehead in exasperation. It was so easy to rile up the heiress that it was almost a crime, but when Shirou and his team did take seats with them, Weiss did give Shirou a smile and a nod of acknowledgment that Yang was sure took _all_ of her willpower to give.

Now isn't that sad?

* * *

'So what's your name?'

Nora asked the Faunus girl eagerly while Pyrrha simply looked on proudly at Shirou who had went back to fetch some food for her.

'M-My name is Velvet... I-I'm sorry for causing all of you trouble.'

The rabbit Faunus squeaked nervously, eyes doe like in panic and fear, and perhaps a little hopeful as everyone smiled back at her.

'It's no trouble at all, I think I would have done it myself...but I didn't have the courage that Shirou had. I'm sorry.'

Pyrrha declared solemnly but sincerely and it made Velvet shake her head desperately while telling Pyrrha that was not the case.

'I'm... It's not your fault... no one... would blame you for not helping... i-if it had happened to someone else, I... I wouldn't too...'

Velvet ended lamely but Blake spoke up firmly after that to try and curtail the spiral of depression that might overtake Velvet's confidence.

'But it is not your fault. It was Winchester's fault.'

Blake stressed it to Velvet with venom seeped deep inside her voice and it made everyone a little taken aback at how aggressive Blake was. She was really invested in this issue and none of them with the exception of Yang knew what was going on. The blonde gave Blake a calculating look that didn't suit her usual cheerful smile, something that Blake missed as she was too focused on Velvet to care.

'Got it all in one, Blake. So you better listen, Velvet dear.'

Yang added on with a motherly smile at the shivering Faunus girl which caused Blake to look at Yang in surprise. The blonde gave Blake a quick wink before getting up, walking over and hugging the poor shivering girl with one arm. Pressing her against her more than ample bosoms, Yang stroked the girl's head and grinned when Nora jumped over the table, literally so to join in the hug.

Blake was not amused to see that although Yang was being sincere in trying to calm her down, Nora probably did so to touch the girl's ears. Then again, Velvet might need the help to get used to more human contact as the poor girl looked terrified to death till Pyrrha walked over to rub her back as well. All of the support given to a Faunus girl was certainly garnering them considerable attention but none of the two teams minded at all.

'Remember, it's _not_ your fault. Don't _ever_ think that! If you think you're a victim, then you're definitely one.'

Yang continued with a motherly tone of voice that made Ruby gave a wistful and happy smile. It was the 'big sister' voice that Yang _only _used when the two of them were together in private. The two sisters were very close and although there was a period when Yang was _too _busy to spend time with Ruby due to making Ember Celica at Signal, it had returned to normal after Yang finished perfecting her beloved weapon.

As suffocating was Yang was with her sisterly love, Ruby was also happy and proud of the way Yang had slowly given her the room and space to grow up and develop her skills and abilities. She owed many thanks to her uncle as well, whom had taught her the abilities she now knew and whom was the person that helped her with the design of Crescent Rose and her fighting skills. Yang loved her very much, but was still more than happy and willing to acknowledge her as another individual in her own right. So much so that it has been a long time since Yang had used that tone when speaking with her, except on _that_ particular day of the year.

'…'

Velvet was unable to say anything as she had started sobbing quietly while the rest of the girls looked on sympathetically.

'It must be tough to be a Faunus.'

Yang remarked but before more could be added on, Shirou cleared his throat and looked at the gaggle of girls with a raised eyebrow.

'Ahem... I think you might want to give her some space and privacy.'

'With you I presume? And there I thought Mr. Hero was a knight, ohhh, I know, you could volunteer to escort her to her room later on and then when you're actually in the room you can st-'

'Yang!'

Ruby interrupted the teasing of her older sister before apologizing to Velvet that she was just trying to be friendly.

'That wouldn't be a bad idea, Ms Yang, seeing that her team mates were not with her or defending her, it might be best for her to have an escort in the event of any... repercussions.'

Shirou's eyes narrowed while stating the facts and the rest of the girls looked at each other before nodding their heads.

'We should _all_ go. You're okay with that, right?'

Ruby declared but she looked disappointed when Weiss cleared her throat and said that she would not be going on such a frivolous task.

'I would be heading back to the room after dinner... If you wish to be with Miss Velvet, that is your choice – but do remember the assignments that we would have to do for tomorrow's classes.'

Everyone simply looked disappointed at what Weiss had said but the Schnee heiress simply shrugged it off before continuing to speak.

'That said, if you require... additional assistance with your school work for today... I'm sure that we would welcome you to join us to finish the assignments together...?'

Weiss had a small blush on her face as she turned away from Velvet who was looking at her with disbelief, no one could resist the big wide pleading eyes that Velvet had. The other girls who caught on to what Weiss had said gave the heiress knowing looks but refrained from teasing her, she had protected her image while at the same offered assistance to the Faunus girl as well.

..

'Well who isn't the ice bitch now'

Yang muttered to herself cheerfully and was quickly reprimanded with a pinch at her back by Pyrrha who had overheard her. After scowling at Yang for a second or two, Pyrrha whispered back, saying that Weiss was also a girl after all.

'And we girls should stick together. We're all in Beacon, that means we are the best out of all those our age.'

Pyrrha gave a confident smile to all of them who nodded, with only Ruby looking a little sheepish as Weiss narrowed her eyes at her before looking away again.

'You just have to believe in yourself... if you don't, then no one will too.'

Ren commented tiredly while Yang gave a grin and slapped the tired boy on his back energetically.

'Took it right out of my mouth, Ren!'


	5. Chapter 5

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter __5_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: I will slow my pace down, a little at least. I'm unsure of what the response is to Yang's back story as I got too little feedback. Since there isn't much for me to work with, barely 5 reviews for that chapter alone, I'll take it that it's acceptable.**

**At any rate, enjoy PooL Chapter 5 and yes, I've 'patched' chapter 4 with the necessary revisions.**

**..**

_bowpurity's notes: How the heck does writer streaks happen. This was written wrote this way early, way way early. Also, I'm back from my rest of Betaing, so I should be able to beta better compared to last chapter which I rebetaed. Come to think about it, if you are up for betaing, do speak up. I think I'm a little swamped._

* * *

_'_T-There's... really no need...'

Velvet looked both apprehensive and hopeful as the two teams walked with her to their rooms. Nora and Pyrrha had been invited into the slumber party barely three days after their initiation into Beacon and they were already fast friends.

Covering each other's back in battle tended to do that, Shirou would know. Thankfully for him, he had a perfect excuse to avoid the bonding session that the girls were no doubt going to have.

The orange haired knight gave the only other male member of the two teams, Lie Ren an apologetic look that he missed before he excused himself.

'I have to speak to the headmaster about the previous incident that had happened, no doubt Mr Winchester might have already reported the incident in his favor by now.'

Shirou wasn't too bothered about that, he was not really going to push charges against Cardin Winchester. Still, he would say no to _any _missions together with the boy out of principle though. He hated bullies with a vengeance, especially those with more bark than bite. Cardin Winchester was just a big brute that was using brute strength to get what he wanted, something that won't work against Shirou.

'… I'll go with you.'

Ren was at least smart enough to find an opportunity to dodge a bullet when he saw one, but unfortunately Nora was not giving him the chance, clinging on to his arm tightly and told him that they were joining the party.

'A slumber party, Ren! I've never been to one!'

The twinkle and stars in Nora's eyes was blinding even from a distance to Shirou and he suppressed a chuckle. His emotions turned to concern however when Yang raised her hand and said that she'll go with Shirou instead.

That was odd, he would have thought that Yang would be fawning all over the faunus girl in their little excuse to get to know each other.

'Please allow me instead, Yang.'

Then Weiss spoke up as she told her partner that she was a better witness then Yang would be and grudgingly the blonde agreed.

'Make sure Cardin's punished! That jerk should be castrated!'

Yang scowled and growled while the other girls all nodded their heads in agreement. Weiss on the other hand looked rather put out at the uncouth words spoken by Yang before shaking her head and nodding to Shirou. Together, the two set out to Professor Ozpin's office together wordlessly. They had a mission to do and many choice and tasteful words to share with the headmaster on how they viewed Cardin Winchester. Although they barely knew him, his actions had done _all_ the talking necessary,

* * *

'Could I ask you something, Ren?'

Lie Ren found himself being questioned by the blond known as Yang Xiao Long and he blinked a few times to get the sleep out of his eyes before he tiredly nodded his head in consent.

'Great! I was wondering if you came from the east! My mother came from there too, and I recognized your outfit with some my mother had with her.'

Ren raised an eyebrow before scrutinizing the blonde, more specifically her hair and ears before saying that he certainly did not expect that.

'Your name was a giveaway, but with your looks...'

Ren would rub his chin but he wasn't _that_ concerned. Yang was however and she grinned while slapping Ren on his back again.

I thought so! So we could be very distant cousins! That makes Ruby your younger cousin by default too!'

Yang winked at Ren, while he tried to regain his breath after the unexpected blow.. He wasn't exactly fragile, but he wasn't made out of very sturdy stuff either. The last thing he needed before a date with his pillow was being forced awake by pain. That girl sure was powerful and Ren couldn't help but cough a few times to get his breath back while Yang laughed sheepishly.

'Ah my bad on that, guess I don't know my own strength at times.'

That was a lie and a bad one, Ren knew , but she did not mean any malice and sounded genuinely apologetic when she said that. So, Ren forgave him, but the last thing he needed was for some sort of unconfirmed family ties between him and a violent blonde.

He resigned himself as he watched the gaggle of girls who were indeed, shockingly, actually doing their assignments in their pajamas. It was Ruby who had placed her foot down and ordered them all to finish their assignments before the slumber party could start proper.

Yang either didn't care or had already done hers, he doubted it was the latter and believed it was the former. He however fell in the same boat and Ren simply accepted her apology with a nod of his head.

'I really didn't expect to meet someone from mum's home land... does Nora came from there too?'

Ren shook his head and told Yang that his family had moved from the eastern lands to Vale when he was very young and had gotten to know Nora since then.

'So the two of you... are you... you know?'

Yang asked in a conspiratorial fashion while holding a pinkie up that caused Ren to shook his head. They were not in a relationship like that.

'Do you want to, hmm? She's pretty cute you know.'

Ren was wise and genre savvy enough to not reply that verbally, instead choosing to raise an eyebrow wordlessly at her. He had been on the end of such a conversation before and he was not going to give Yang an inch to work with. Give that girl an inch, and he was sure that she'll take a yard. Yang was messing with him, that much was clear but he was not in the mood to explain the situation with her if she was just going to use it as ammunition against him.

'Fine, you're no fun. Childhood friends then?'

Yang grinned in understanding when Ren nodded his head and she found herself wistfully smiling a little as she remembered her childhood, the better times spent with Ruby and their parents till that day. She would not dwell on that day now, this was a good day so far and so there wasn't any use being depressed right now.

'…'

Ren was never the best of conversationalists and he simply remained silent while watching the gaggle of girls discuss the questions for their assignment before Yang broke the silence again. This time the blonde girl shifted her position so she was sitting on the bed while looking at her friends.

'Remember what I said earlier? I really mean it. It must be tough to be a Faunus.'

Yang repeated herself while Ren nodded his head. It was not even a question, it was a true to honest statement that Ren wasn't too happy to agree in. It was the truth however and Ren nodded somberly while Yang just smiled sadly back.

'We didn't stand up for Velvet till Shirou did... I mean, I _could_, but I didn't.'

Yang elaborated while Ren simply looked at her silently and waiting for her to go on, it seems that the blonde has something to get out of her chest. He _didn't _want to listen but since she sought him out, he'll have to humor her a little – such is how troublesome social contact was.

'Your team leader, he's something else if he's going to do all that for a girl he didn't even know. If... you know what I mean.'

Yang's eyes narrowed slightly and her gaze was fixated on him firmly. Momentarily taken aback, Ren was stuck under her gaze that was unwavering, firm and commanding. There was none of that loud and boisterous individual that he had started to associated with Yang and quite frankly, it worried him. Worried because it was _troublesome_ and that it wasn't just _him_ that had noticed something was odd with his leader.

Man, Emiya Shirou was maybe an enigma that wanted to keep to himself, but he must have the worse luck in the world to have not one, but two individuals noticing that barely a week into class. Maybe he was that bad in keeping himself from standing out in the crowd, or maybe the two of them were sharp than most.

Regardless of what the truth was, it was also true that Yang wanted some answers and was probably going to do so through him. _Or_ he was getting paranoid and there was a simple explanation for Yang's interest in him. The latter gambit wouldn't cost him as much trouble as the former so...

'Maybe... if he is going to hit on her, he didn't tell me about it.'

Ren offered with a yawn while quietly observing Yang back, the blonde still had the same scrutinizing look that changed when she grinned confidently while smacking her lips.

'I think he's kinda cute though, you sure he's in the market for a girl?'

'… You'll have to ask him about that.'

'Well, I think I _will_, he's got a great ass, that's for sure and he can handle Weiss fine, it'll be fun to know whether he is a naughty, naughty boy.'

Yang licked her lips eagerly while Ren simply shuddered and closed his eyes, yeah, that was probably too much trouble to be worth dealing with Yang.

* * *

Weiss gave a sigh and a huff before loosening her body a little while sitting together with Shirou in front of the headmaster.

She had went in all prepared to unleash some of the lessons that she had been taught in the Schnee family to defend their case against Cardin Winchester. They hadn't needed to as before Professor Ozpin even heard them out, he had forestalled them by informing that the school was aware of the charges and was in the midst of deciding what kind of punishment that the leader of CRDL would be issued with.

A suspension in school was in the cards, as well as expulsion and Weiss was more than happy to do just that when Shirou suggested that they _could_ punish him by putting him in the same team as Velvet, with her as the leader.

That was an unorthodox punishment to say the least and Weiss was outraged by that. Wasn't Shirou delivering the poor Faunus girl back into the lion's den?

Professor Ozpin had considered that proposition as Shirou explained himself – calmly stating that the sometimes the best way for one to face their fears was to _face_ them. Weiss agreed with that and she fell silent when Shirou told Professor Ozpin that it was a culture that would _never_ stop unless someone did something about it. The incident with Cardin Winchester was simply going to repeat itself if they did not change his mindset. If it was not _him_, it'll be someone else.

'And... none of us have the ability to help her _all_ the time. She needs to stand up for himself. Sometimes it's impossible to save someone, they have to be willing to save themselves.'

Shirou's words made the other two fall silent till Professor Ozpin gave a chuckle before saying that Shirou was a very interesting person indeed. Weiss agreed with the Professor, still… how could he have said that with so much certainty?

'I wonder what you have went through before, to allow you to say that with a straight face. You truly believed that, don't you, Mr. Emiya.'

Professor Ozpin asked and Weiss was not certain whether that was a statement or a question as the two men looked at each other. She was suddenly aware of a tension in the room that she _hadn't_ been aware of before, and she was a Schnee! She should have been the one in the thick of it, to help the poor hapless boy beside him to navigate the worse of it but in the end, she was the one sidelined as Professor Ozpin and Shirou exchanged looks that spoke _volumes_.

Weiss felt very inadequate then and she could only look at them meekly till Professor Ozpin backed down and smiled.

'You really do wish to be a Knight, don't you, Mr. Emiya?'

There was a pause, and Shirou lowered his head just a little before replying. Weiss was interested in this too, the nickname of knight was given in a moment of jest and folly, she did not believe that it would stick like that before... but now, she honestly believed that the title was appropriate for the boy who would go out of his way to help a stranger like that.

Then again... how much did she know of Shirou _anyway, _perhaps she was projecting her image of a Knight on him without knowing him better... This definitely warrants more attention to him, that much was sure.

I never said that, this just happens to be who I am.'

Shirou finally replied in the end and unfortunately, it did not make sense to her at all. Professor Ozpin and the headmaster looked just as perplexed before nodding his head and telling them that they should go back to their rooms now as it was getting late.

'We would inform you of the punishment that we would be imposing on Mr. Winchester when we decided on it. Please enjoy the rest of your night... but could I have a few words with Miss Schnee in private?'

Professor Ozpin looked at Shirou meaningfully and the boy nodded as he excused himself. No doubt he would be waiting for her outside and Weiss steeled herself before he left the room. It was lucky that she did for the headmaster studied Weiss closely while drumming his hands on the table for a few seconds.

'Miss Schnee, may I ask you a question?'

The silver haired man subsequently leaned back on his chair while adjusting his dark sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. His many small movements was either a show of nervousness or was trying to unnerve her but Weiss knew that, so she kept herself focused as she stared back at him evenly.

'Please do so, Headmaster... I will do my best to answer the question.'

There, it was polite enough and still gave her an opportunity to wriggle out of actually replying anything that was perhaps a little too sensitive.

'How much do you know about your teammates?'

That was certainly something that she was not prepared for but Weiss managed to catch the look of surprise before she considered the question. She swore it was going to be about Shirou, but it was not, it was about her team mates?

'I know them a little, I am aware of their skills, character and how their combat skills are... But if you are asking if I know my teammates personally, I am still getting to know them, Headmaster Sir.'

Weiss considered before answering honestly. They were her team mates and it was natural for her to try and know them better, but this was barely the third day! Due to some circumstances it had been hard for them to truly know more about each other. She did know a lot about Yang though, too much for her liking. She did not expect being put under the scrutiny of the headmaster again for several seconds as he held her in his gaze, then the moment passed and Professor Ozpin smiled.

'You are in a group of exceptional individuals, from your leader, Ruby Rose and her partner Blake Belladonna to your partner, Yang Xiao Long. All of them have more than just skill on their side, they have their own stories, learn more about them and try to accept them for who they are just like how they did with you. Unlike the scar that you wear proudly however...'

Weiss inhaled sharply at the insinuation, that the headmaster knew exactly _how_ she got the scar, it was her first slip up of the night and seeing how Professor Ozpin chuckled silently, it was done purposely to unnerve her.

'Some scars are displayed less prominently but goes just as deep, Miss Schnee.'

The headmaster allowed about a minute to pass for Weiss to collect her thoughts. What did he mean by the scars that all of them had, did they share something in common with what she went through? No, that's impossible, no one would understand or went through the same thing she did.

'Now I'm afraid I have taken a bit too much of your time, Miss Schnee.'

Professor Ozpin had stood up without Weiss noticing and was resting a hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to get some rest. She certainly felt like she did so, at least to have some time to think about what the Headmaster was insinuating to her.

It wasn't just Shirou, it was her team too? What secrets could the bubbly but kind Ruby have? What about the quiet and unobtrusive Blake? And that dumb blonde, how hard could her life be?

'Good night, Miss Schnee.'

Professor Ozpin didn't seem too surprised to see Shirou still waiting for them patiently nor did he comment when Shirou offered a hand to Weiss and the heiress took it almost absentmindedly in reflex, allowing Shirou to escort her back to their team's room without a single comment.

..

'Are you alright, Miss Schnee?'

When they were a short distance Shirou spoke softly to Weiss before continuing.

'You look pale... and tired.'

Weiss felt tired and she wasn't sure how Shirou could tell that she was pale but she would have to take his word for it.

'Would you please bring me to my room, Mr. Shirou... I... I need to rest...'

Weiss looked up to see Shirou nodding his head and when he sighed, Weiss was confused till he explained.

'I highly doubt that Miss Yang would allow you to do so... perhaps a brief detour to our room for a cup of tea would suffice?'

Shirou asked quietly and Weiss considered for a moment.

'Of course if you are uncomfortable with the idea, I am sure that we could find an unoccupied table that you could take a few minutes to compose yourself.'

Shirou tried again but Weiss shook her head, his manners were unraveling a little and she was just too tired to care what others viewed her now. She had a lot to think about, and she needed the silence to do that. Being with her team mates would just make it worse and she really, really needed the privacy. Shirou had earned her trust to some degree and so be it, it would be close enough to her room as well.

'I accept... Although tea is not my choice of beverage, I accept your offer to have a breather in your team's accommodations.'

Weiss tried giving Shirou a curtsey only for him to stop her with a frown.

'You know… you don't need to do that. I think it'll be good for the both of us to drop this formal act... at least for a little while?'

Weiss looked at him for a moment before giving him a small smile that showed that she'd appreciate that.

'… This never happened.'

Weiss firmly replied as the two of them walked towards the dormitories together.

* * *

'She's asleep now, isn't she?'

Ruby asked her partner and good friend Blake as the raven-haired girl had placed her in her own bed after all activities had concluded for the night. They had plenty of fun doing their assignments together, more than she had believed they would. It was a good bonding session for the two team's girls and it would have been better if Weiss had came back earlier.

Weiss had returned a little later than they expected her to and she had looked very tired as she had trudged to the shower almost immediately after being escorted back by Shirou. The leader of SNPR looked just as tired, quickly making an escape by pulling the napping Ren with him to their room. Ruby wondered if Shirou was just uncomfortable around girls, but she was sure that wasn't the case at all. He had seemed fine helping Weiss and her, maybe it was that he was just uncomfortable with the atmosphere.

'Yes she is... she'll sleep well tonight... considering what Yang had added to the drinks.'

Blake gave a sigh as she looked to the other side of the room to a snoring Yang. Her older sister had barely changed into her pajamas after downing an entire bottle of hard liquor that she had produced out of nowhere.

'Yang is a good drinker, but even she can't take so much without being knocked out...'

Ruby answered with a sheepish smile as she struggled to pull Nora into the makeshift bed that they had made on the floor with the spare bedsheets and blankets. It was barely a week and Yang had gotten one of their friends shitfaced drunk, this was not going to be good.

'They will have a killer hangover tomorrow... I think I should warn you about that, it would only be fair.'

The last time Ruby saw Yang knocked out through alcohol was around half a year ago when Yang graduated from Signal as the top student. She had gotten all of her close friends and had went out for a nights out much to the exasperation of their family. Yang had staggered home late at night without a scratch on her and all of Ember Celica's dust cartridges emptied.

Since there wasn't a news report on mysterious fiery explosions, they did not question what Yang had done when she woke up with a throbbing headache and a killer hangover that made her throw up and repeatedly had dry heaves till the end of the day.

'It's not going to be pretty...'

Ruby groaned loudly and smiled when Blake patted her shoulder to try and offer some comfort.

'It's Weiss's problem now. Only not really, because she'll feel the same tomorrow.'

Blake remarked made Ruby blanch and the redhead scowled before giggling weakly and saying that they'll be in trouble tomorrow if someone didn't do something.

'I love Yang, but sometimes she can be a little overbearing... I'm sorry to put you through this as well. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow at all.'

Ruby apologized to her friend and she smiled when Blake simply shook her head and said that she didn't mind.

'I've dealt with worse personalities before, Yang is just energetic but she means well... the way she took care of Velvet, I am happy for her.'

Blake looked at the Faunus girl fondly and blushed when Ruby teased her about it.

'Blake, are you jealous? Yang would love to pamper you if you just asked.'

'Ruby! I do not mean it like that... and I'm sure that your sister will. She is very protective.'

Blake crossed her arms while stating the truth as Ruby sighed and nodded her head.

'She is, sometimes a little too much. But that's Yang for you... the sad part is that we might be the only two able to go to school tomorrow... Weiss is going to scream the moment she smells Yang's breath.'

Blake winced and agreed with her. The slumber party had gone all wrong when Yang had produced that bottle, persuaded Nora to drink it and spiked Velvet's drink with it. Thankfully for them Nora was a terrible drinker and she fell asleep remarkably easily after three small cups of the potent alcohol.

Ruby and Blake had taken one each, Weiss had been forced to take one before she decided that enough was enough and tried to stop Yang from drinking more.

Yang had refused and had _made_ Weiss drank more instead. Then, the two of them had an impromptu drinking session that Ruby and Blake had been unable to prevent, Weiss was a bad drunk too.

'Wait, where is Pyrrha?'

The sensible red head had been in the thick of it and she had not even noticed when and what Pyrrha had been doing after everyone had taken some alcohol.

'… Come to think of it... she had drank quite a lot before disappearing...'

Blake wondered out loud while Ruby groaned, hoping against hope that Pyrrha wasn't a bad drunk or that Shirou was taking care of her right now. She had all her hands full thinking about what they were going to do tomorrow.

'This is not what I signed up for...'

Ruby rubbed a hand against her forehead and simply groaned even more when Blake chuckled and reminded her that she _was_ the leader after all.

'You'll have to find a way to help all of them.'

'Don't remind me, Blakeee!'

Ruby whined and stomped her foot in frustration as she tried to find a way out of this predicament by herself.

* * *

'…'

Elsewhere in the dormitory room of team SNPR, Shirou was looking quite annoyed at the redhead that was preventing him from leaving by latching on to his arm while he sat on Pyrrha's bed.

The redhead had burst into the room with an even bigger grin than before and had jumped him while he was polishing his sword. Ren had seen what had happened and promptly decided to roll over to pretend he _didn't_ instead. That sneaky and lazy bastard.

Shirou had smelt the smell of alcohol on her breath and was tempted to swear if it wasn't going to help.

With the possibility of a comfortable night sleep thrown out of the window, Shirou started thinking of the concoction that he would have to make and share with team RWBY if he wanted their _second_ day at Beacon be successful.

It was going to be a long four years...


	6. Chapter 6

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter __6_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: Okay before I forget, I got a review about how I put write Shirou's name, to be exact, putting it as Emiya Shirou instead of Shirou Emiya as it's common with the western context.**

**Let me explain it further, the family name of Shirou is 'Emiya' and his given name is 'Shirou'.**

**In the western context, it's generally Given Name before Family name, hence Shirou Emiya.**

**In the eastern context, it's generally Family Name before Given name, hence Emiya Shirou.**

**We can argue that due to RWBY's roots, it's by a western studio and so it /should/ be Shirou Emiya.**

**But I disagree with the naming context simply because of Yang. Her name is Yang Xiao Long.  
**

**If we take it literally, her given name would be - 'Yang Xiao' and her Family name would be Xiao.**

**I'm not even disputing Ruby's name of Ruby Rose, where's the common family name at any rate? Adopted sister? Ruby taking her father's name and Yang taking the mothers?**

**It's also odd to be called 'Yang Xiao' as there is more plausible cause for her Family name to be Yang and her given name to be Xiao Long (Small Dragon in Chinese). And thus Yang Xiao Long is her name in the Eastern context, making her name to be written as Xiao Long Yang instead in the Western Context. I've also given plausible cause for Ruby calling Yang as 'Yang' in chapter 4 as well, it's not at all uncommon to call someone with their family name only.**

**Another point is Lie Ren. In the western context, his given name is 'Lie' and his family name is Ren.**

**It is all but possible for both ways and we are not arguing on why Nora called Ren by his family when she is so informal, but it really swings both ways on the possibility front.**

**But if we go with the literal translation of his name: Lie Ren (Hunter in Chinese), it's more convincing for Lie to be his family name and Ren to be his given name. Again it'll be written as 'Ren Lie' in the Western Context.**

**Of course, both points can be refuted by saying that Rooster's teeth really decided to make Yang's name as Yang Xiao, but thats' another argument altogether.**

**So for all purposes of this fic, as well as my personal pride in being chinese and asian, if Yang Xiao Long is accepted, Emiya Shirou isn't too bad of a stretch.**

**Annd that's all I wish to clarify. Thanks for the beta, _bowpurity_, the stage is yours.**

**..  
**

_Bowpurity: IC. OOC. Is it the job of a beta to correct them? To point them out, sure, but to correct em? Well…  
(small sigh)  
No one of you out there wishes to be a beta? Does anyone even read this part? Show some gratitude young whipsnappers. I've been playing way too much phoenix wright.  
Well, I guess i have (Some) free time. I'll add things here and there to make what is OOC feel more IC.  
Spoiler (Shirou would have never woken up Yang if I could help it)_

* * *

'Thanks... Shirou...'

Ruby was sheepish to say the least, she did not have a plan to help her team get over the hangover she knew the others would have and it had came down to Shirou to save the day, again.

The orange-haired teen had really seemed like a knight when at the stroke of dawn, around 6am, he had knocked politely on the door requesting to be let in.

Ruby had been sound asleep on her bed but Blake had heard him and had woken her up when she left the bed that the two were sharing to open the door for Shirou. He had came bearing gifts, a concoction that would help with the hangover and had patiently assisted them by making tea as they woke their unfortunate drunk teammates.

Velvet was the first and the delicate girl looked like a wreck. Taking the miracle potion from Shirou, she felt a little better before throwing up in the washroom.

A second dose of Shirou's awesome tea made her semi-functional while Blake and Ruby woke the others.

Surprisingly, Nora was still a bundle of energy when she woke up before it fizzled out. The next thing Ruby knew, she was in the washroom having her back petted sympathetically by Blake who was reeling from the dreadful smell.

Meanwhile Ruby was coaxing Weiss to drink Shirou's tea along with the concoction while the Schnee heiress insisted that she wasn't drunk. She had to abandon that claim when she turned green and had to be hurriedly carried over to SNPR's room to avoid a mess in their dormitory room.

No one dared to get close to the still sleeping Yang till Nora was settled down, that was when all bets were off. The girls looked at each other, those who were functional anyway, an unspoken question in their eyes before all of them looked towards Shirou simultaneously.

"Shirou… please, can you wake Yang up?" Ruby asked.

His body stiffened for just a moment, but after a brief moment he relaxed. Shirou only replied after placing the pot of tea down, his polite tone fooling no one as he spoke quietly. It must take quite a force of will to remain as calm as he was now.

"Hmm? I'm afraid I shouldn't. Yang drank a lot yesterday, didn't she? In situation like hers, it's best to let her sleep it off. Not even my potion can cure that hangover she'll get."

"But… today's the first day of class. She'll miss it if she remains asleep."

'As unfortunate as it might be, it would cause more problems if she attended school in such a state. Next time, please advise her not to drink as much during a school night. I would still recommend letting her rest to sleep the hangover off.'

Ruby was conflicted. She knew how bad Yang reacted with a hangover. Opening her eyes wide, she adopted a pitiful look, kneeling and partially begging Shirou. Seeing this, Blake knelt beside Ruby, mimicking the pose and the look.

He couldn't held out long before the gaze of the two, and with a deep sigh, he averted his gaze.

"Fine. But if she asks, you two will take the blame."

Shirou replied as he headed to the bathroom and turned the taps on to fill the bathtub with water, Shirou waited for a bit, choosing to ignore the sight of Ruby and Blake high-fiving each other, and returned to pick up Yang.

The sounds of water splashing soon followed, along with the sounds of someone heaving out the contents of last night, and Shirou went back in handling the tea.

..

'She'll be there for a while.'

Shirou commented with a shrug as he avoided looking at the carnage that had developed due to the blonde's antics. Ruby was not even going to try and defend her sister this time, it was _all_ her fault that this went on a bender.

Even if Velvet was getting more comfortable with the rest of them, it could be done better.

'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let them drink at all... and I couldn't do anything to help them in the end and had to let you do it, I'm so sorry, Shirou.'

Ruby was really apologetic about that, it was her fault and she should have been the one to clear it up, not let Shirou do it for her.

For Shirou, it wasn't really a big deal. He had the knowledge and the materials needed for the drink and the tea. Anyone would have done it, so he felt a little undeserving of her comments.

'I don't mind, so there's no need for an apology. Experience helps... next time keep them hydrated while they drink and it won't be so bad... Anyway, we still have classes to attend and I can't help with dressing the ladies here. And thus… I shall take my leave.'

Shirou excused himself to get breakfast for them while Ruby slapped her own cheeks to motivate herself just a little bit more.

'Let's get all of them ready for classes, Blake!'

Ruby would tackle this head on and not try to avoid it, it's the best way to gain experience like Shirou said after all!

* * *

'I feel sick.'

Yang complained as the team RWBY trudged towards the cafeteria during lunch time. All of them had managed to attend class despite cutting it close when Yang _almost_ threw up again before even leaving the dormitory proper. But they had made it so far, almost miraculously, through the use of many toilet breaks and the desperate gulping of water.

Only Yang was still bearing the brunt of the hangover, with the rest of the girls just looking tired and all worn out.

Ruby noted that Pyrrha was in the same state and was looking distinctly awkward around Shirou. She desperately wanted to ask what exactly had gone on for Pyrrha to act in that manner but refrained from doing so after Ren caught her eye and shook his head _very _briefly.

It would be bad to antagonise one of her closest friends and allies without reason.

'Well you should, you deserve it.'

Weiss snapped irritably as she had been performing less than optimally today, meaning that she couldn't do another repeat performance of being the top of class in front of everyone. It took all Weiss had to even pay attention and she knew exactly how well Yang had done without even looking at her. She was sure that Yang's mind wasn't even in the class at all and was more occupied with trying not to throw up.

'No, it's your fault for not being as awesome a drinker as ME!'

Yang tried to puff her chest out proudly but only managed to stagger and crash into Weiss. The heiress being on shaky legs herself fell into a heap on the ground with a loud groan. She didn't even care that it was an embarrassing sight for a Schnee to be on the floor in an undignified manner like this but the floor was so _inviting and cold_. She could stay here forever and rest and -

'Velvet had the right idea, you're going to the nurse's office right now.'

Ruby firmly declared as she pulled her sister back to her feet while Blake helped Weiss up. The heiress was about to protest and say that she didn't move but any protest was silenced when Blake gave her a glare that told her to shut up and listen.

'I... I'm okay, really, Ruby...'

'No you are not. You will be lying in the nurse's office till the day is over. You too, Weiss. We'll take notes for you and you _will_ wait for us to pick you up.'

Ruby waved a finger at the two of them and they mumbled their agreements while being helped to the nurse office by the two of them.

..

Unsurprisingly they found Velvet sleeping in the infirmary while trying to work out the lingering effects of the hangover. Nora was surprisingly absent and so was Pyrrha. The two of them had probably ingested too little for it to affect their constitution like poor Velvet. Nora and Pyrrha were dynamos in their own right but Ruby thought a little bitterly that they weren't in the medic bay because Shirou was so much more experienced in dealing with drunks then she was.

Why though? She'll have to ask Shirou about why he was so good with that on a later date.

'T-Thanks, Ruby...'

Yang managed to groan when her younger sister applied a wet press on her forehead before wiping her face with it to cool her down. The hangover was really bad and if an experienced drinker like Yang was still wobbly and unable to nurse her drink, Weiss hadn't a chance in hell.

The heiress had fallen asleep after Blake had handed her a couple of pills that she had gotten from the school nurse. With the same pills in her hand, Ruby offered them to Yang only for the blonde to pause before she did take them.

'Well... see you in a bit little sis.'

Yang managed to groan before she closed her eyes and tried dozing off. Within a few minutes she too was out like a light and Ruby sighed before bowing to Blake and the school nurse in apology.

'I'm sorry for the trouble that my sister caused...'

The school nurse simply shook her head and went back to her duties while Blake looked at her for a moment before bringing her closer for a one armed hug.

'It's not your fault, most of it anyway...'

Ruby gave a half-hearted smile that Blake took as her being cheered up a little bit before the two left the infirmary to grab some lunch.

'You told me that you're working on a way to... be a leader, right? So how's your progress on that?'

'Ah, I think I can finish it today, I'll share with all of you later on after classes! It's a promise!'

Ruby sounded much happier after that and the raven-haired girl smiled as Ruby's smile became brighter than ever. Ruby just needed a little push forward, but she was indeed saddled with an enviable job that Blake would never touch with a ten foot pole.

There was nothing for it, she'll have to support Ruby as best as she could before her friend got all overwhelmed like yesterday.

It was going to quite an interesting school year, that was for certain.

* * *

'I'm glad to see everyone's feeling better now.'

Ruby smiled at her team mates after collecting and helping the other two to their room for their first meeting and team-building session that she wanted to hold after discussing with Shirou.

Yang and Weiss were looking much better now even if her sister was looking dishevelled and Weiss still looked annoyed at what happened to her.

At seeing the nods from all of her friends, Ruby cleared her throat and started the meeting proper.

'I'm sure that all of you don't know why I asked everyone to gather like this, but I... I believe that to be a good team, and to be good partners and friends with each other...'

Ruby nodded and smiled to Blake who was sitting besides her on her bed and continued on confidently.

'We should first introduce our selves to each other. I know, I know that we know each other and we know how each of us fight... but that's not going to be enough.'

Ruby held out a hand shakily to stop Weiss from interrupting and the redhead waited for Weiss to think about it before nodding her head in agreement. Ruby did not want to antagonize Weiss as she was the person that was going to the hardest to convince. Yang would always agree with her and Blake already agreed, so she needed to make Weiss buy into her idea.

'We will be a team for the next four years, and... after the initiation, all of us know that we'll be fighting Grimms that are a lot tougher than... outside, at least those that were around Signal.'

Ruby looked around to see the thoughtful looks of Blake and Weiss and knew that it wasn't just _her_ who thought that way and the young leader felt her confidence rise.

'So we have to know all about each other. What we like, what we don't like, why we are in Beacon, what we are good at and what we are bad at... stuff like that. I... I'll start first then.'

Ruby took a deep breath before standing up, wielding Crescent Rose and twirling it before ending in a pose. She spoke proudly, introducing herself to her team mates, her friends and the people that she would be _leading_ for the next four years.

'My name is Ruby Rose, I am the younger sister of Yang and I was accepted into Beacon by the headmaster Professor Ozpin after I stopped a robbery...'

Ruby looked embarrassed at that part but firmed her resolve to continue on.

'My dream is to become a Huntress as I want to protect the ones who couldn't protect themselves, to save the people. My weapon is called Crescent Rose, it's a scythe combined with a sniper rifle.'

Ruby paused to look at everyone paying attention to her and she waited till they nodded to allow her to go on.

'I'm good with my scythe in close combat but I'm also good with my aim... my preference in combat is mid and long range as my Crescent Rose allows me to keep anyone I am fighting from getting too close to me. My semblance is the ability to control my speed, it allows me to run and attack faster. My weaknesses are that I don't have much strength and I can't always cut or hurt my enemies with Crescent Rose. Also, I don't have much firepower as the calibre of the round is limited due the customization of my weapon.''

Ruby had studied her battle with the two Grimms and what she could infer was that without being able to apply more strength or more power in her blows and rounds, she couldn't deal the finishing blow.

'When... we are done with our introductions, we could perhaps start working on standard formations and to discuss how the best way for each of us to contribute In a fight as a team?'

It was something that Ruby was trying to do for team RWBY, their team was a little unbalanced if they had to resort to Ruby as the long ranged specialist and it was more than a little skewed towards combat in close quarters. There was nothing wrong with that, but it opens a glaring weakness for Grimms to take advantage, for example they would be totally screwed if they met a flock of Nevermores. Now... that is a terrifying thought indeed.

Ruby had spent quite some time thinking through her suggestions and plans and now it was time to see whether it would work and if she could sell it to her team mates enough for them to give it a try.

'Is...there anything that you would like to ask me...? About how I fight, what I like... anything at all?'

The silence was deafening and although Ruby knew that Yang could say something to help her out, the young girl shook her head when Yang opened her mouth to do just that. Blake too was hesitant as she shot her a worried look before turning to look at Weiss carefully as well. If the Schnee heiress didn't want to join or to contribute in this discussion, it would be hard for them to really work together as a team or make formations together.

Ruby was close to crying after several more awkward moments passed and it was Blake who finally decided enough was enough when Weiss finally spoke up.

'What is the effective range of your weapon, Ruby?'

'Ahh...I haven't tested it yet, but I've been able to hit a target from around 500m to 600m away.'

'… You have a better range than me, I wouldn't be able to hit a target from that far back. With an effective range like that, I suppose that makes you our long ranged expert.'

Weiss nodded her head in understanding while Ruby just smiled happily at her, that was what she wanted, her friends working together to fine tune how they would work together.

'But Ruby is also a close range fighter, Weiss, you mustn't discount that. Ruby how fast could you cover that distance with your semblance?'

Blake asked patiently even if she knew the answer to that and she was relieved to see Weiss pay attention as well, the Schnee heiress even excusing herself to pick up her scroll to help take down notes.

'I can cover that distance in around a minute, faster if I expend some of my ammunition to speed up. I'll be with you before you know it.'

Ruby did the maths and that made Blake frown a little as she commented that it might still be a tad too slow if Ruby needs to take the place of someone who was taking point where every single second counts.

'Anything could happen in half a second, so it's best if we pull her back. That way we'll have a better response time for Ruby if we need her assistance. It does not hurt to know that Ruby could have that range, but none of us could support her if she is at her maximum range, right?'

Blake argued and further stirred the discussion when Weiss argued that since she would be in cover, it was a moot point.

'That'll leave Ruby undefended, that is not preferable. I'm not saying that Ruby can't protect herself, but we shouldn't take the risk.'

Blake argued while looking at Ruby pointedly and the redhead blushed and nodded her head, embarrassed at how protective Blake was of her as well.

Yang on the other hand grinned and added her own comments to the plan.

'I'll be taking point as I'm the best you got at close range, kicking ass and taking names. But Ruby isn't too shabby in close range as well, that's what her scythe is for. It won't be fair for us to make Ruby be our ranged support when you could do the same, Weiss. So what's your range like?'

'I'm only good around 200m away, any further and I would be unable to control my semblance as effectively or efficiently.'

Weiss answered while frowning, possibly still thinking about what has been revealed so far and Yang took the opportunity to go on.

'Anyway, I'm no good with Grimms who can deal with blunt impact. I mean, I can hit the normal run of your mill Grimms hard... but there are those slime things that I just can't deal with. I could use my semblance on them but that'll be a waste and it'll take a lot out of me over the long run. Not a good idea. Ruby's good with those Grimms though, Crescent Rose is a slashing and cutting weapon and it's the direct opposite of Ember Celica.'

Yang shivered while Weiss nodded her head in understanding.

'And Yang isn't just a close range fighter, she has ranged attacks too.'

Ruby chimed in and that made Weiss sigh while looking at the three of them, she was evaluating their sincerity and effort in making this work and she found _herself_ lacking instead. The others were trying to include her into their discussion to be successful and the Schnee heiress raised an eyebrow before continuing the conversation by pointing out that Blake had a bladed weapon herself.

'So Blake could switch with Yang if she faces trouble, I am just suggesting that no matter the formation we agree on, we should consider how Ruby could support us from that range same as how I could do the same from my effective range. Since our range overlaps, we could in theory rotate the two of us as I am decent in close quarter combat as well.'

Weiss admitted modestly but Yang pointed out a flaw in her plans.

'You can't move as fast as Ruby though and if we are setting the rotation or the switching of our positions with each other, you have to consider Blake and my effective range as well. What's the range of your weapon, Blake?'

'.. Perhaps it'll be good if we go back to introducing ourselves and listing them down so we could discuss how we would best work together as a team?'

Blake muttered while scratching her head but there was a smile on her face as she saw Ruby looking at her team mates with a mixture of relief and happiness. She had made her first step and the leader of RWBY stood up while declaring that they weren't going to sleep till they figured this out together, as a team.

'We're a team right? Team RWBY, and this is our first ever team building session.'

Ruby declared before giving Weiss a quick hug that she quickly ended in fear of the Weiss heiress being ticked off at the physical contact. The scythe wielder need not have worried as the heiress flicked the lock of hair she had tied in a ponytail behind her shoulder with a haughty and proud smile on her face.

'I expect nothing but the best out of our team, Ruby and I agree with you on that. None of us is allowed to sleep until we figure out the roles that each member of our team would perform.'

All the four girls nodded to each other and Ruby started writing down what she had shared with the rest before Blake had her turn.

'My name is Blake Belladona...'

* * *

While the team of RWBY had their own little team discussion going on, Team SNPR was doing the exact same thing in more practical terms as they were out on the fields surrounding Beacon Academy and showcasing their skills.

The leader, Emiya Shirou was showing the rest his abilities as a sword and shield and by the looks of disappointment from his three team mates, they were expecting a lot more from the armaments that Shirou was wielding.

'Shirou's weapon does not even use Dust?! How do you make things go boom? How could you even kill Grimms with a sword like that?'

Nora asked curiously with no ill intent at all and thankfully Shirou knew that, and didn't take offense.

'I kill Grimms by cutting their heads off.'

Shirou cheerfully replied back, then patiently explained that all it took was a lifetime of physical training and conditioning.

'That reminds me, I am falling back on my workouts. Please do not worry if you do not find me in the dormitory early in the morning. I start my work out around five thirty in the morning every day, it helps keep my body in shape.'

Shirou explained to the three without missing a beat and although Pyrrha found her jaw dropping at the routine that Shirou had, Nora simply poked Ren while telling him that Shirou was a morning person unlike him.

'So your strength comes from your physical training...'

Ren asked after Nora had calmed down and was once again fidgeting while standing in the clearing and waiting for _her_ turn to showcase her skills.

'Yes, is there something wrong? My weapons are handed down from the Fujimura family, the Tiger of Vale once wielded these two weapons in combat. They are steeped in history and have fought in many wars before this.'

Shirou looked very fond of the steel in his hands and he nodded his head when Pyrrha asked him if he liked weapons.

'I do, all of them have their own individual history and story to tell. Even if they are custom made, they all have a story to tell anyone who understood them.'

Pyrrha learnt something new about Shirou today and the redhead nodded in understanding and confusion as she watched Shirou stare at his blade fondly. How could anyone _like_ weapons _so_ much. Wait, hold that thought, Pyrrha took her words back as she knew there was sure to be another person who loved weapons just as much.

'So they really aren't nothing special besides being family heirlooms?'

'They are crafted from the finest metal of it's time. Even if current technology might have taken the title of sharpest sword and sturdiest shield away from it, there is no doubt that it is still a pair of very fine weapons.'

Shirou defended his choice of weapons again stubbornly as Pyrrha thought about it even more before deciding to come clean to help the others understand _why_ she was so disturbed about it.

'You were accepted into Beacon without even unlocking your aura and all you have is your sword and shield... you must be _really_ good with your swordsmanship, Shirou.'

Shirou looked trapped for a moment before scratching his head and modestly admitting that he has some skill with his sword and shield, yes.

'But there are others who would be better, there will always be one.'

It was spoken well enough and Pyrrha looked conflicted at whether to pry more or to drop the issue. In the end she decided that she would drop it and speak to Shirou about it later.

'I guess it's my turn! I'm Pyrrha Nikos, I wish to be the strongest Huntress to graduate from Beacon, to earn respect as one and to have a family just like any other normal girl. I wish to prove that Huntresses can live normal lives too.'

Pyrrha had a confident grin on her face while saying her unorthodox dream and she was sure that even Shirou was caught off guard about her dream.

Like any other girl, Pyrrha was also waiting for her knight in shining armor to sweep her off her feet. Only in this case, it might be Pyrrha who swept her true love of his feet to carry him to the wedding as the groom instead. Pyrrha liked that idea, the age where women and men could be equal was going to come closer if she achieved her goals.

She'll be a trendsetter! Who says that strong women couldn't have a family? It was going to be hard, but they shouldn't dismiss her just like that because she was born a woman.

'I like that dream!'

Nora exclaimed happily while Ren simply nodded his head in acknowledgement. Their leader, Shirou, seemed too shocked to say a word till he chuckled before running a hand through his head.

'That is an amazing dream, Pyrrha...'

Pyrrha puffed her chest out in pride to hear that Shirou agreed and the red head winked at Shirou before twirling her spear in one hand and shield in the other.

'You've seen nothing yet, Shirou. You haven't seen the full extent of my strength and skill yet!'

* * *

**Author's Notes: Although I'm a little leery, _bowpurity_ is getting swamped and he suggests asking for a beta-reader from my readers.**

**So if you're able and willing to volunteer, just give me a PM. We'll have to hash out details though.**


	7. Chapter 7

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 7_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: I would like to welcome XoreandoX as my new beta-reader/co-author. Along with bowpurity, the three of us discussed lots of details that has us pretty excited about the whole story. Hope you guys would like what we had planned and went through - I know I am. Thank you, both of them for the beta!  
**

**..**

_bowpurity's Note: Happy international tabletop day! Wrecked ticket to ride at 146 points, hahahaha.  
Sometimes, you realize anime grabbed inspiration from real life. I actually met a bunch of amazing people, whom fit really well into anime. The hip bouncer, the straight man, the exclaimer, the cute innocent maiden and the mischievous vixen. If i was a writer, I would write about them. Heh…_

Anyway my beta point is, go explore life. If you're into creativity, you'll need that life experience to develop amazing things.

* * *

'That went pretty well.'

Blake gave her partner, Ruby Rose, a smile as they settled for the night. All four of them had gone through their introductions and had spent most of the night learning about each of their strengths, abilities and weaknesses. They had gone on with the second part – all the girls coming together to discuss how they were going to work together as a team.

Fighting in a team was different than fighting individually or in a pair after all and from the initial discussion earlier, it became apparent that Team RWBY had issues with ranged adversaries while being very stacked in the close ranged department.

They really needed to remedy that and they had discussed several formations that would help mitigate the team's weaknesses together. The four of them had bounced off ideas, debated and shared their experiences together in a gradually lively manner till it was time for dinner.

Ruby hoped that by having this discussion it would break down the barriers and walls between the team and help set the tone for how they were all going to work together.

The young leader had been relieved when Weiss had more or less grudgingly accepted Ruby's role as the leader after she was named as such, but she knew that would only be true as long as she worked hard to show that she was deserving of the position that has been given to her.

..

This was what she came up with after discussing with Blake on what she could do. Ruby was not book smart, she was more of a practical kind of person but since the person she had to win over the most was Weiss, who was a smart person – she had decided that she would try to at least impress Weiss with a well thought plan for them all to work together.

Ruby was a realist, in that she knew that it was impossible for her to win over all members of her team and to expect to lead them without some objections from them, even from Yang and Blake, because she was too inexperienced.

Weiss aside, neither did Ruby expect her team mates to just take over leadership like that and to not let her at least try. So if she was going to _try_ to be a good leader, she should show effort to prove that she wanted to and could lead.

But since she was inexperienced and knew next to nothing about her team mates besides Yang, the best way to do so is to learn from those who knew the best – her team mates themselves.

It was a classic case of a team working together to solve a problem through the use of discussion and free flowing information. Stil, this method would only work if all of them trusted each other to some extent. Ruby reasoned that since all of them were in the same boat, having to depend on each other for the next four years in both missions and combat training meant that they would have to learn to contribute to the team and not hold anything back.

Thankfully, none of them did and Ruby was very relieved since it allowed them to be closer to each other. Weiss hadn't even grumbled about Yang being loud or annoying as they had dinner.

Her older sister and her partner were actually discussing possible combination attacks they could use together, after Weiss showed interest in how Yang's semblance was generating fire. Combined with Weiss's semblance of creating glyphs they could potentially create a very devastating attack. However right now she could only manipulate one particular dust at any single time and amongst the elements that she could produce was fire itself. With Yang being her partner and her semblance being fire itself, it freed up one of Weiss's dust containers for something else.

Ruby learnt something interesting today too, and that was Blake's semblance didn't increase her speed and agility in the same way as her own, which simply sped her up. Blake's speed was a technique born of her semblance and even if it wasn't fully developed, it was a terrifying ability nonetheless.

Blake's semblance allowed her to cover great distances in a single step, and as a secondary effect, allowed her to create solid copies of herself that could act independently from herself.

Ruby as a result found her own semblance of being able to speed herself up being somewhat… mediocre, but she was still learning how to refine it in order to control how fast she wanted to be and how much aura she needs to use to power her semblance. It was still a work in progress unfortunately.

..

Ruby smiled at Blake as the two of them went to grab dessert for their team, leaving Weiss and Yang to debate among themselves about the possibilities for their combination attack. Blake had confessed earlier that the plan worked a little too well and she was spooked at the thought of having to deal with Yang's silly ideas with Weiss's backing. Just thinking about it made Ruby shudder in panic.

Yang's crazy plans never truly went just as planned, and normally it was easy enough for Ruby to put a stop to her antics due to the lack of planning. But if Yang somehow managed to get Weiss to _help_ her on on one of her outrageous plans and _support_ it, they were in a world of trouble.

'I know, I'm relieved that it actually worked… we just… needed a reason and the time to be friends with each other… I mean, at least for Weiss. I know I could be friends with you, Blake. Thank you for your help when I was researching for what we could discuss about earlier.'

Ruby was being very modest, a little too much so for Blake and the raven-haired girl frowned just a little before petting Ruby on the head despite knowing that Ruby really disliked that. It was something Blake had noticed from spending time together with the two siblings for three days now.

The younger Ruby was trying her best to be the serious and dependable sister while Yang was the opposite, doing her utmost best to get Ruby to relax and have fun a little bit more instead of being so stressed over her new status as a leader.

It made Blake feel slightly jealous at how the two of them could accept the other so easily despite them both being radically different.

Blake could see that Ruby was trying her best to live up to what others expected out of her while trying to grow up to be the woman that she _c__ould_ and _w__ould_ be. Yang did nothing to stop her and that made Blake a little torn. Should she help the younger girl with her problems now? Maybe she could guide Ruby through this difficult phase as it might still be too obstacle for her handle.

Doing that would make Ruby grow more comfortable with the position of being their leader for the next four years.

Or should she just let Ruby struggle and fight her way out of that difficult predicament. It was not impossible – Ruby had to pull Weiss into the group seeing she and Yang intended to support and work with Ruby for the duration of her learning process.

There was a third option but it was blocked out when Ruby asked for her opinion in what made a good leader while sharing _her_ own thoughts on what made a good one. Ruby had apparently even consulted Weiss and Yang for their opinion and was trying her best to learn and grow up to meet those expectations by working hard.

'You are doing very well, Ruby. You have to be more confident in yourself. You shouldn't be too obsessed about your age.'

There, Blake said the one thing that Ruby would _never_ said out loud, not even to herself or to Yang. Blake had either wittingly or unwittingly poked the lion in the cage with her fingers.

..

It was the one thing that Ruby was always sore and sensitive about and Yang had learnt to never use Ruby's age as a teasing card in her book, lest she be faced with the true extent of her little sister's wrath.

Ruby had a lot to live up to and she had covered most of her innocence and her youth with a facade of maturity. The pressure from that had been lessened somewhat due to Yang's good performance in her first two years at Signal but it was amplified when Yang went out of hand.

Ruby had always been jealous of Yang being able to be true to herself while she couldn't. If it wasn't for the fact that her parents' dream and her own were the same, for her to be a huntress, she might even be a little resentful no matter how much she knew Yang loved and cherished her.

But her age, it was a sore point as it reminded her that she was still someone _different _as compared to the rest of them and had to be compared to a different yard stick. It doesn't matter whether she was considered to be strong or weak, she just simply did not wish to be singled out as different.

She might have gotten into Beacon in different circumstances but she truly didn't wish to cause a ruckus or to stand out amongst the crowd. All she ever wanted was to be treated as an equal in Beacon. It was incredibly difficult growing up, always being compared to her elder sister or being remarked as being more mature, better or anything akin to those lines that tries to put her in a flattering light.

Ruby _never_ wanted that, and regardless of how true the statements were, it was a hollow compliment that meant nothing, did nothing and only grated on her nerves.

She had hoped that being at Beacon would have made it stop and although Yang hadn't jinxed her by saying that everyone was going to know about her. Blake had been the one who had recognized and identified her and told her how special she was as the youngest student of Beacon for quite a while.

She had been secretly dismayed at the attention she might receive, but since none of that ever did happen, Ruby was content until she was appointed as the leader of team RWBY.

At least Shirou had never looked at her this way, or at least publicly voiced out any comments on her age and how she should be treated differently due to that.

And after all her hard work and effort to be recognized and viewed as an equal and not as a liability, Blake had to say that to her!

..

Blake Belladona wasn't the most adept at reading human facial expressions when trying to gauge their emotions. Granted it should be an easy job for most people but Yang wasn't most people. It was partly due to her upbringing and how she loved blending in with the shadows, and found enjoyment more in solitude and silence than in the company of others.

She wouldn't call herself a social outcast or one who was socially awkward, but it was difficult at times to react in the right manner when talking to Ruby and Weiss. The two of them were unlike Yang and Nora, the two girls being as open with their expressions as an open book. Weiss was an interesting person due to how open her expressions and thoughts were at times while at other times, the emotions were hidden behind a forced mask that made it all but impossible to read, even if she wasn't fooling anyone.

Ruby however was just difficult due to the how the younger girl had so many extreme mood swings. She was very easily composed, but her mood swings break her mask a little too easily and it was in most ways, easy to read, if albeit difficult to predict.

Hence Blake was caught off guard when she somehow managed to tick Ruby off big time as she scowled angrily at Blake before aggressively turning away from her. Blake was hurt and she wondered what she had said wrong as she tried to get a peep at Ruby's face to reaffirm that Ruby _really _was upset.

Boy was that a bad idea as Blake was quickly abandoned as Ruby ran off faster than she ever thought someone _could_ run.

Blake prided herself in having never been defeated in a straight out race due to her semblance. As long as there were no obstacles, Blake could out run almost anything or anyone. Her semblance, allowed her to cover a great deal of distance in a single step, and was usually mistaken for being able to run/move really fast and when used in conjunction with her clones, it made locating and catching her almost impossible.

But Ruby was forcing her to actually sweat as she finally managed to tackle Ruby just before Ruby cleared the entire school block. The two of them rolled to a heap before stopping with Blake on top. Who ever thought that the small girl had it in her to be so _fast?_ Still, she didn't expect Ruby to just break off and run because she's upset like that. Maybe some habits died hard? If this was Ruby's coping mechanism when she's upset, Blake was both thankful and appalled that she was her partner.

How can a human girl run _that_ fast? Even if her semblance was giving her control over her own speed, Ruby was moving so fast that she doubted that anyone could see anything but a blur of red and black before she had stopped her. Shaking her head, Blake stood up, and offered a hand to a still upset Ruby who while still pouting appeared to be calming down, especially after Blake apologized

'Was it something I said, Ruby? I... I didn't mean anything bad, so why did you run off like that...'

Blake had to ask, this was out of character for the calmer Ruby and this was honestly the first time she saw Ruby lose control of her emotions like this. Blake hoped it won't be a very common occurrence as she barely caught Ruby in time.

'… You... talked about my age.

Ruby scowled and mumbled. She normally didn't lose it like she did just now, but the culmination of all the stressful factors and the wave of relief after it was all over came crashing down hard when Blake had to bring it up again.

It was a lousy excuse, a flimsy one and should never be used but she had used it. The last time she had done so was when she had unlocked her semblance for the first time, allowing her to run straight out of Vale before she realized where she was and had gotten lost.

It was Yang who had found her then, but this time it was Blake, or was it just her?

..

'Honestly sis, if you don't learn to pace yourself... you'll wear your shoes out in no time. Man I'm all worn out... you don't _need _a bike at all...'

Yang remarked while panting, she looked exhausted and she was trying to catch her breath even as Weiss met up with them. The two of them looked completely wiped, how far did she run again and quick was she? She could've sworn she didn't run _that_ long.

'… Haah... haaa... d-don't... ever... make me... run... after you... again.'

Weiss managed to choke out before she was unable to continue, allowing Blake to continue before she had been cut off.

'Are you sensitive about your age, Ruby? You are merely two years younger than us, it isn't that much of a gap for us to be friends.'

Blake missed how Yang blanched and looked nervous as she plowed on.

'There is nothing wrong with being younger or we being older. It all boils down to the individual and how they work with their apparent youth or experience.'

Yang blinked when Ruby didn't snap back at Blake, that was... actually a better line than she would have used to calm Ruby down and it seemed to be working for Ruby started to blush as Blake elaborated.

'Age doesn't really matter, it's your actions itself that show your maturity. I'm sorry if you misinterpreted my words as trying to belittle you, I don't mean that at all.'

Blake had a neutral expression on her face as Ruby stared back at her blankly as if she had just said something crazy. Blake didn't, but she might as well have as Yang pulled Weiss with her to sit beside the girl that was still sitting down on the floor.

'Blake's right. You shouldn't be too obsessed with this little sis. Let others talk whatever they want, you can't get others to stop talking you know.'

Yang nodded sagely and looked as if she was about to say more when Weiss interrupted her. She waved a finger in front of Ruby while looking both exasperated and mad at her.

'You performed spectacularly up till now, Ruby Rose, I was impressed with the thought and long term planning that you did with your team bonding session earlier. I certainly... didn't expect that.'

Weiss admitted with a small huff but she continued soon after Yang nudged her with an annoyed expression.

'I know you're missing a 'but' somewhere there, so just spit it out, Weiss.'

'How uncouth... but you do have a point.'

Weiss gave Yang a nod that only served to make Yang roll her eyes even while Weiss continued.

'To be honest, I was more than a little resentful in your appointment as the leader. But like I mentioned before, I told myself to accept your appointment as you had showed sufficient traits and skills to convince me to allow you to have your chance. Ruby Rose, you performed very well... till now and that is to be expected.'

Weiss's words made the three of them look at her and the Schnee heiress milked it for all she could before she continued.

'No one is perfect, not even me; but... I'm slowly getting there.'

Yang snorted at that and the blonde met the challenging eyes of the white haired girl before she backed off. Weiss' weakness was her pride after all, something Yang had exposed to the world.

'Having a minor breakdown like this is... certainly not the best way to show your frustration. But it is certainly understandable as everyone has to have an outlet... Especially since, I have been less than cooperative and was only adding on to your stress levels.'

Weiss conceded softly and Ruby's face was a mixture of confusion and relief a little till Yang interrupted.

'Well it's better than what I'll do at any rate, my little sister is as harmless as a kitty!'

Yang cried out in joy while the other three wondered why that was something to be proud of.

'Blake has apologized to you for the misunderstanding, but you would have to apologize as well to everyone for having such an over-exaggerated coping mechanism. Do you have _any_ idea how far you ran? Do _not_ make me run after you again, ever.'

Weiss ended her little speech with a scoff before being elbowed in the sides by a ticked off Yang.

'Seriously, could you stop being a frigid bitch and undoing what you just told Ruby? You made your point, you are awesome with words, but you have to know _when_ to quit!'

Yang berated her partner Weiss, who spluttered before pointing a finger at Yang accusingly.

'Me?!'

She shrieked and the other winced as Weiss started chewing out the ticked off Yang.

'What about you, you uncouth peasant! Do you know who _I _am? I'm a Schnee, I'm loads better off than _you_ would _ever_ be. In fact, I am certain that if we rip off the fats from your chest, you would be nothing special. As expected from a blonde actually, the dumb blonde stereotyping isn't that false after all. If anything, you follow the trend very well, Yang Xiao Long.'

That definitely hit a nerve as the ticked marks on Yang's face doubled that very instant and the blonde looked ready to punch Weiss's face in when Ruby interrupted them.

'I-I'm sorry... please don't fight... we're supposed to be a team.'

Ruby's voice sounded very childish and pathetic and the two older girls looked at her as one before looking extremely awkwardly at each other. They were supposed to be lecturing her on how exaggerated her actions was, not to have an argument.

'That kind of defeats the purpose, right?'

'What the two of them are showing are exactly what teams _should_ not be doing with each other.'

Blake chipped in with a small smirk as she finally helped Ruby up before pulling the other two girls up as well.

'Like what Weiss said, none of us are perfect. Ruby with her childish attempt to run away from her problems.'

Rub blushed at that while scratching her head. That was certainly true, but she had never heard of it being phrased in quite that way before though.

'Weiss... we all know her problems.'

Blake actually gave a wide smirk when Weiss fumed but decided not to chew her out _this _time.

'I'm sure Ruby can list down a whole list of what Yang could improve on.'

It was Weiss's turn to smirk as Yang spluttered while Ruby gave a solemn nod at that but the other three girls gave Blake a deadpan look when she decided to skip herself.

'And here I thought everyone aren't perfect, what about your imperfections, Blake?'

Blake kept a straight face as she explained to all of them, who prompted started laughing and giggling at what she said.

'My imperfections is getting involved with the three of you, as a team we are only as strong as the weakest member after all.'

Despite the giggling and laughing, yes, even Weiss was laughing as she tried desperately to hide it, Ruby managed to compose herself to get the team's attention on her again.

'We… We should start this all over again guys. So Team RWBY; Our… Our team is formed here, as friends...'

Ruby's smile only got wider as all of them nodded their heads with various levels of enthusiasm.

'With me... as the team leader. Before that, I… must just say, I'm... really sorry I did that but I... I just...'

Ruby blushed again while stopping in her explanations, there were plenty more that she could say but she was forestalled by Yang who grinned and rubbed her hair affectionately.

'No worries little sis, we understand and we haven't been the best team members when it comes to working together, have we? But, that team building session you got going there was great! What about you guys? Are you with Ruby?'

Yang grinned when the others nodded their heads and that alone made Ruby want to cry again as she frantically tried to hide her face at how happy she was. They were really going to accept her? Really?

'T-Thank you... I'll be the best leader for Team RWBY, I promise!'

* * *

'From this moment on you are officially suspended for one month, Mr. Winchester.'

The team leader of CRDL was in shock as he stared at Professor Ozpin who had handed him the sentence with a perfectly even face. He had not believed that the unknown boy, Emiya Shirou would even make good on his threat. But he had and with the Schnee Heiress as a witness, the Winchester family could hardly find _anyway _to stop the charges from being filed or even to mitigate the charges that were set.

'We would also be putting your position as the team leader of Cardinal under scrutiny. It is likely that you would have to go through a probationary period before we confirm or remove you from your position as the team leader.'

Cardin was about to protest but was preempted by Professor Ozpin who said that the decision was final, and no other pleas would be taken.

'But all that for a faunus girl?! What right does she have?'

Professor Ozpin raised an eyebrow before sighing and then subsequently starting to write again.

'It seems that you have not learnt anything from this experience, have you, Mr. Winchester. In the duration of your suspension you would be given several assignments to complete on your own. The Faunus girl, Ms. Scarlatina would be taking charge of your team as their interim leader. I will be briefing all of them together with Ms. Scarlatina first thing tomorrow.'

It was simply to add insult to injury and Cardin was about to blow up before catching himself. He had already received punishment once for speaking back to him, what would happen if he did it the second time?

'I understand... Thank you, headmaster.'

'You are dismissed Mr. Winchester. The assignments would be given to you every start of the week and I am expecting a reply by the end of the same week for each assignment. You are free to use the school's facilities but will not be allowed to leave the grounds of Beacon unless given express permission by the teaching staff. Good day, Mr. Winchester.'

Professor Ozpin dismissed the fuming boy and Cardin just barely restrained himself from slamming the door behind him as he headed to the dormitory rooms to prepare for the next month of torture.

Or would he?

..

As Cardin turned a corner, he found someone blocking his way and although Cardin dismissed him at first, after the third time the man reappeared in front of him, Cardin took the bait and asked him what he wanted.

'To make you stronger, regardless of the cost and time needed.'

The figure offered Cardin Winchester a smile as he waited for the boy to reply, a smile smile that grew even bigger as he spoke of his plans for him.


	8. Omake

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Omake_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

bowpurity's notes: I swore there was a fanfiction/manga that told of Shirou handling swords turned into girls, but I can't find it. If anyone found it, do give me a note.

Also, bought and played Senran Kagura. I'm so good a player, I don't get fanservice, lol.

* * *

XoreandoX: Hey this is the first set of notes from me as one of the co-authors, I'll admit that the original spark for this omake came from me, after discussing Shirou's Semblance with wrathie, apparently this what my brain thought up at 2 AM as an idea. I never expected it to explode into a full omake or be considered as part of the main plot if you guys like it; so without further delay enjoy the Omake.

* * *

**Author's Notes: This chapter is brought to you by the craziness of XoreandoX and the additions of bowpurity into that first idea. Honestly I'm torn between keeping it as an Omake and keep it as such, but there have been arguments on why this should be canon in PooL.**

**So here's the deal. A poll would be created in my profile to decide whether to make Shirou's Semblance, a valid and important addition to the canon of PooL (Pieces out of Line). **

**If you vote Yes - I will include Shirou's semblance and 'relationship' with Crocea Mors within the main plot. **

**If you vote No - It'll be limited to Omake only.**

**There is just one other condition - The poll will run for a week - where there will be no updates, and that it will only be 'valid' if I receive at least 30 votes in total. Any less, it's strictly in the Omake territory. So those who wish to be heard - Vote and drop a review to comment on it.  
**

**In other matters - I have been getting reviews on how why there is a lack of emphasis on Shirou, if at all, and my answer is - It's a RWBY fic. Shirou does appear, and he is important - but mostly it's about RWBY and SNPR, so you won't see the world only in Shirou's view.**

**Like my other two co-authors said - Enjoy the Omake and see you in a week's time!**

* * *

Emiya Shirou was at somewhat of a conundrum, and the issue at hand was the use of his semblance that he had discovered a few weeks after his entrance into Beacon Academy.

Earlier, the concept of Auras and Semblance was an issue of concern for him as he might not have both of them. How would he fit in with his team if that's the case, would it not be suspicious?

Luck was on his side though, as Pyrrha Nikos was on hand to help him unlock it. Together with her willingness to not ask questions had made that issue a non-issue to which he was very grateful for.

He had the theory that Aura was similar to magical circuits and well Semblance was... his origin? If that was the case, Shirou would end up getting a semblance that would be tied to 'sword'.

His origin and element was 'sword' due to the Great Fire of Fuyuki that was caused by the Fourth Grail War. The fire changed him, and he did not know what his origin or element was before the event. He had never given that much thought, especially here but he was grateful for it. It was one of the factors that allowed him to summon Saber. She was his teacher, his role model, his lover and in many ways, she shaped him to be who he was today.

So when Shirou used his semblance, he felt a little hopeful but at the same time, he expected the worst. Bracing himself, he figuratively steeled himself for what would happen after – He wasn't naive enough to believe that he had seen _everything_ that could possibly be seen.

For better or worse, he was proven right for when the moment he managed to activate his semblance, which was achieved by imagining a trigger in the form of a sword being drawn, nothing happened.

For a brief moment Shirou was relieved that nothing blew up, or nothing out of the extraordinary happened. In the next moment Shirou was concerned, for if he did activate and use his semblance, it meant that something was happening and he was not aware of it.

Ruby had a semblance that was simple like speed manipulation after all.

Having a semblance that was not immediately visible or at least something he could feel or visualize meant that he would have to put in more effort to discover what exactly his semblance was. Shirou really did not want to do that for he was wary of letting the scientists and others observe his powers as, well, he was a magus and with his luck – he would end up with a semblance that would mirror his ultimate weapon.

Aura was called the window to one's soul after all and his soul wasn't normal, nor was it pretty and it was very, very dangerous.

..

Shirou scratched his head before going though some stances, trying to feel something different about his movements. Perhaps he lucked out and he had gotten speed manipulation too?

He did not have such luck and after going through several other experiments like checking on his toughness, speed, stamina, he did not perform better or worse.

Semblances are beneficial... right? Maybe his semblance was truly nothing. No, he wouldn't have that luck.

Shirou groused mentally and then, it happened. A voice appeared in his head.

'Would you stop, whining! You're just not trying hard enough.'

A voice appearing in his head was odd enough, but it had to be a girl of all things. The voice in his head was definitely feminine and Shirou paused before shaking his head.

'Oh crap, you can hear me?!'

The voice cried out in shock before it started giggling madly, yes, definitely a woman here.

'Who... are you?'

Shirou tried asking the voice mentally and after a moment, as if the voice was thinking, it replied. Or rather, she replied.

'Well darling Shirou, I'm Crocea Mors of course! Didn't you call me the most beautiful sword in Vale? I was so flattered when I heard that!'

Crocea Mors, his sword and shield?

'Yes, that's me darling! Now be a dear and stop keeping me in that sheathe! Bring me up so I can see you.'

'Wait, you can see? How does a sword see anyway?'

'It's hard to explain, I probably can't as you humans are different. We see, but we don't see with eyes. It's complicated. Now chop chop darling~ I want to see you face to face now that you can listen to me!'

Shirou was used to dealing with pushy woman and he held Crocea Mors in front of him like she demanded to. Why does a sword need to see someone's face was beyond him, if she could see, wouldn't she be able to see him before?

'You can ask the questions later, now look at me, closely.'

'… Why?'

'The eyes, are the windows to the soul, darling! I want to know what my wielder is like! But we need to make EYE contact! That and to open your mind to me. That way I can see your soul and know you better, darling!'

'And what if I say no?'

Shirou answered curtly and the conversation ceased for a moment. That was an answer that Crocea Mors was not expecting.

'But... You called me beautiful!'

Crocea Mors declared apathetically while Shirou kept quiet and refused to engage in any conversation with her. Great, he was treating the weapon like a woman now.

'I am a woman, Shirou! In fact, I'm older than you by several decades even! I'm forged by your grandparents, remember?'

Crocea Mors whined in his mind and he suppressed a real sigh before lying down on the grassy field that he was meditating in.

'So I'm stuck with you now.'

'… I am your weapon, Shirou, you chose me.'

'You know what I mean.'

Shirou deadpanned and he was rewarded with Crocea Mors giggling before commenting again.

'You might want to keep your thoughts internalized, dear, people will start thinking you are mad if you keep talking out loud.'

Shirou cursed while pulling Crocea Mors free of her sheathe before dropping her on the grassy field instead.

'That was mean of you, Shirou, I can still talk to you even if you don't keep me by your side, I guess it's part of your semblance! You get to talk to weapons! Isn't that cool?'

Crocea Mors did seem happy but Shirou sure wasn't as he had the mental image of what would happen if Archer had that ability. Perhaps that's why Archer went crazy? If he had to deal with thousands of individuals like this every day...

'Who's Archer, darling? And why would he have that problem? Does he have a lot of swords?'

Yes, this was going to be a headache...'

* * *

'So let me get this straight, no one else can talk or listen to you, right?'

Shirou asked in his mind towards Crocea Mors. His weapon had calmed down significantly after their first meeting so to speak. Shirou had relocated to another training ground to meditate, the fact that it was the furthest training ground from the school helped made that decision for him.

'Yes darling, but it's not like this ability is very common~ I've never met someone who could speak to weapons before!'

'Are you able to talk to other weapons, Crocea Mors?'

'Why certainly, I was having quite a spirited debate with Magnhild earlier on. He has a very bright mind, very much unlike his wielder.'

Shirou could imagine Crocea Mors nodding her head as she made that comment, it should be impossible but he still could.

'That's because Shirou is filling in the gaps to my form! We weapons don't have genders after all.'

'So how do you even know how to speak in the first place? I could understand why you would be able to speak as you are a family heirloom and could have picked up on the human language over the years.

'I'm not that old.'

Crocea Mors whined but Shirou ignored her, it wasn't like his weapon was made in the age of the Gods. It was made through normal smithing methods, with rare but attainable minerals and ores found in the earth, Shirou could probably make one himself if he put his mind to it.

All the base materials along with the blueprint of Crocea Mors was genuinely and simply human. In no stage of the process was the supernatural or the divine had been involved.

So, how could Crocea Mors learn how to communicate like a human?

'Aura, darling – the aura is what makes us, as you call it – 'sentient'. Auras is a window to one's soul after all and all weapons are infused with their owner's aura at one stage another. Well, you only did that to me now. You're really an odd one, are you, darling?'

Crocea Mors teased and Shirou could imagine her smile getting bigger when Shirou buried his face into his arms in exasperation.

'My aura made you a girl?'

'A woman darling – I'm a woman, and no, you imagined me to be a woman, so I am a woman. But who I am, it's due to your ancestors. Most of it was Tiger though, she was a fun one to be with.'

'Tiger… you mean Taiga… Right, why didn't I think of that. But you said Magnhild was a man, and Nora is obviously a woman… or things doesn't work out that way.'

Shirou raised to Crocea Mors and surprisingly his weapon struggled to find an answer herself.

'Magnhild… is special, darling. I can't really explain it…'

'Oh do try, Crocea Mors.'

'Ohh~ that's the first time you called me by my name, darling~ I'll remember that for as long as I live.

'Answer the question, Crocea Mors.'

Shirou thought firmly and his weapon paused again before giving a sigh.

'Well, you can't blame me for trying to warn you. Magnhild is special because – '

..

'... Did you get all that, darling?'

After a long spiel about the original blueprint of Magnhild, a theory about the concept of reconstructing, replication and the originality of the new blueprint made by Nora, Crocea Mors asked warily as Shirou had not once interrupted her.

She was honestly getting worried that she might have broken Shirou with his technical talk, that and some of the topics that she had discussed were not meant to be interpreted in human terms.

'Interesting, although I'm not a smith myself – it is certainly enlightening and it answered a few questions of mine about Magnhild in general. Truly fascinating.'

Shirou crossed his arms thoughtfully as he went through the facts he had learnt in finer detail, if Crocea Mors had a mouth her jaw would be dropping right now.

'Y-You understood that?'

'Why wouldn't I?'

Shirou asked patiently and Crocea Mors exclaimed that he wasn't supposed to – she was talking about concepts that a human would never comprehend. Why and how would a human understand how a weapon's core element affinity mattered to them, or how a weapon's shape was more than the sum of it's parts? Just like how she would never expect to truly understand the concept of emotions that humans has, a human wouldn't understand a weapon's concern.

But apparently Shirou could.

'… Don't answer that, darling. Just let me into your soul and let me see you for real, this time. I'll even let you see me naked.'

Crcoea Mors teased but when Shirou deadpanned while stating that he has always seen her naked blade, Crocea Mors gave a scandalous moan before saying that he had a point.

'But I could take the form of your ideal woman, darling~'

'I'll pass. Why are you so insistent in that matter.'

'So we can fight better of course! We weapons, we live to battle! And to battle, we must be one with our wielder. You're really, really good, darling, but I think we can be better. So pretty please?'

'… It's complicated, and I'd rather not.'

Shirou was as stubborn as she was and Crocea Mors gave a sigh before giving up.

'It's not over just yet though, darling – but how about we get to know each other better, hmm?'

* * *

'Did I tell you that I loved the way you hold me, Shirou?'

'I would not have expected my sword to be able to talk to me, so no.'

Shirou deadpanned while focusing on his stances with Crocea Mors' voice in his head. The moment his semblance fades, Crocea Mors would be unable to speak or interrupt him further, a very relieving thought.

'But I am just curious, Shirou! It's not everyday you get a chance to know what your wielder thinks and to talk to him! We weapons live very lonely lives!'

Crocea Mors whined again as Shirou swung her in a practised arc that he only repeated a few more times to reinforce his muscle memory on that exact stance. He had never been a very proficient sword and shield user and he needed more practise with the two armaments that he would be using.

'You could have fooled me, Shirou. But darling is good with all kinds of weapons, isn't he? And that makes me so excited! We weapons would only meet another fellow weapon on the field. Especially if Huntsman and Huntresses go on the field alone – and it's so boring to talk to the same weapons on the same team for years. Magnhild is different though. He is cute, and manly.'

Crocea Mors replied thoughtfully and Shirou flinched a little at the thought of his weapon actually having feelings and was able to call another weapon _cute_. He needed brain bleach, and now.

'Oh shush, darling, don't tell me you _didn't_ check out that blonde's ass when she was checking yours out. She's a biter, or was that a fighter?'

'You did that on purpose.'

'And now you can't unsee it. You're welcome darling~ Maybe if I used her image...'

'Do it and I'll stab you into the ground right now and walk off.'

'Y-You, you wouldn't!'

Crocea Mors actually sounded worried for the first time and Shirou simply grinned.

'Try me. As good as I am with swords, I'm not really known for taking very good care of them, upkeep was never my priority.'

There was no reply from Crocea Mors and Shirou decided to go on anyway while ignoring her.

'I use swords _hard_.'

Shirou hoped that was an innuendo for his weapon and with a small twitch on his head, Shirou continued.

'And when I use swords that _hard_, they tend to break. Do weapons die when they break?'

Shirou's last part was a real question and when Crocea Mors did not reply after quite a while, he was getting a little worried. Did he break his weapon's mind? If the weapon had a mind that is...

Or perhaps...

* * *

'I knew you would use your semblance again, darling!'

Shirou grimaced as his hunch was right, the amount of aura that he had used on Crocea Mors had went out and she was simply unable to converse with him till he used his semblance again. Not that he would ever use it again in the future.

'I did not do it for you, it was an experiment.'

'Keep on telling yourself that, darling! My darling misses me! I always knew that you'll be putty in my hands, just wait till you materialize me!'

'Wait, materialize me?'

Shirou was uncertain about what Crocea Mors meant by that, but his weapon wasn't going to let go of that information that easily or without at least some teasing on her side.

'Mm materialize me! And darling, weapons die when they are broken.'

Shirou swore that Crocea Mors was rolling her eyes as she explained but she soldiered on nonetheless.

'But it really depends on the damage. If I snapped in half, I will still be me if they fixed me with the snapped off blade. But if they replaced my entire blade, I would be a new weapon altogether. That's also why we weapons live lonely lives. It's rare to find a weapon that was able to be wielded long enough to be infused with enough aura that they develop the sentience of steel you were talking about. And to those who did, they don't stay _themselves_ as they are so easily broken and are repaired in ways that make them 'new' again. Just like you lot of humans change depending on your environment, we weapons change in the same way.'

Crocea Mors explained and Shirou nodded his head in agreement, that fits in with what he knew about the conceptualization of the weapons into 'people' at least.

'Don't get us wrong though – we weapons are born to fight and we don't regret being destroyed in combat. What really gets me is how you humans keep trying to 'improve' and change us. If it's not broken, why fix it? Shouldn't you guys be improving yourselves instead? Not you, darling, you work too hard for your own good.'

Crocea Mors sound like those old fogeys at the Mage Association with her dislike for change and it made Shirou chuckle for the first time since he was able to speak to Crocea Mors.

'Ahh~ You laughed~ I like your laugh, darling~ You should do that more!'

Shirou didn't know how to answer that and he instead veered the topic back to what he was concerned about.

'You spoke about materialization? You... could materialize? You are a sword, aren't you?'

'Yes darling, forged of the best steel of the day! I thought you knew all about me, hmm?'

'Materialization of the soul is magic, and I'm not capable of that.'

Shirou replied bluntly despite knowing all too well that the term magic, or his definition of magic might be different from what Crocea Mors's was. Or perhaps it slipped his mind at the sheer impossibility of Crocea Mor's statement. She couldn't have expected Shirou to do one of the last few remaining magic that exists in the world?

'Oh you don't need magic for that! I'm a weapon after all.'

'That did not make sense. You are a weapon and hence your form is that of a sword and shield. So... why did you say that I could materialize you? Are all weapons a spirit of some kind?'

'Spirits? No no, we are weapons, we are forged by you humans! We become 'sentient', or achieve a state you call sentience of steel, by absorbing aura from humans who uses their aura when they fight. Do you understand so far, darling?'

'That's what you said before, Crocea Mors – what does that have to do with being able to materialize you? What do you mean by materializing in the first place?'

Shirou was getting impatient with his weapon and it showed for his irritation actually scared Crocea Mors who hurriedly asked him to calm down.

'Calm down, darling! I'll explain, don't get mad at me now! Mou... you are really worked up about this...'

Crocea Mors sounded like she was pouting but she was rendered speechless when Shirou explained why he was so worked up over this.

'What I call the materialization of a soul is close enough to resurrection... it is a true magic, and if you mean that I can create or recreate your soul to appear as a human, I am _not_ possible of that feat. Nor do I wish to do so.'

Shirou was angry as if it was that simple, and if he _could_ do it, he knew that he would be unable to stop once he started. The ability to potentially resurrect all that he failed to save would be both a blessing and a curse – a curse that even Shirou knew would tempt and break him with regret till his dying breath.

'… Wow, darling really... is odd.'

Shirou wasn't sure whether Crocea Mors was trying to lighten his mood or just truly did not understand how worked up he is. But he was close to the end of his tether and patience for his flippant weapon.

'If you're not going to tell me, fine. We don't need to make that happen, and rightfully we shouldn't. We shouldn't even know of the Third Magic in the first place... god knows how many people...'

Shirou cut his thoughts off quickly before it grew morbid again and he spent the next few moments in complete silence.

..

'I'm sorry, darling. I didn't think it was such a big deal to you... but, what I am talking about, and what are you talking about is totally different.'

After a long while, Crocea Mors finally spoke again. She must have sensed that Shirou was a lot calmer now and decided to risk gaining his ire to explain the situation to him.

'What I mean by materializing me, I mean that with enough aura, I can solidify my conscious and sentience into another form separate from my sword body! It's difficult, but I know I can do it!'

Crocea Mors explained with the same teasing voice as she started seducing Shirou again.

'And then you can do what you want with my body, I can't wait for you to hold in that form, darling~'

'Rejected.'

Shirou deadpanned as he struggled to his feet, even using Crocea Mors to help him up, a source of frustration for the now sentient weapon.

'H-Heey, darling! I'm a sword, not a walking stick!'

'Please don't scream when I use you in combat, Crocea Mors. You are my weapon, and I use my weapons, _hard_.'

Shirou simply repeated and it quietened Crocea Mors for a moment before replying with a whisper, a _sultry _whisper.

'I know you'll do me _hard_, darling. I'm counting on it.'


	9. Chapter 8

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 8_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: *grumbles about how there are so many votes* So the overwhelming response has spoken, Shirou's semblance is part of canon now and Crocea Mors would be part of the general canon of PooL.**

**I and my co-authors had a long discussion of how it would work, along with the canon of PooL that some of you guys have reviewed and were concerned about. Don't fret, we'll cover those part further on in the story. Hearing you guys contemplate and discuss in the reviews really make me happy, and I do apologize for not replying your reviews - I'll reply some shortly to address some of your concerns without spoiling the story.  
**

**Oh yes, there is an error in the Omake Part - The fire is at the end of the Fourth Grail War, and not the Third, my apologies for getting that part wrong - and I do apologize for getting some of the more sharper readers worked up over this. Again, I apologize!**

**Other than that, I guess - enjoy the newest chapter of PooL? Aha~**

* * *

_XoreandoX's Notes: Hm, not much to say about this other than I'm surprised by the amount of support a lot of people have for Shirou's semblance. Also in response to those who worry that this semblance while comedic may turn this story into a crackfic, I would like to assure you that I will do my best to keep wrathie from doing so. So without delay, enjoy the chapter._

* * *

_bowpurity's notes: Hah. Crackfic. Au contre, I want this to be a crackfic (somewhat) But like I stated previous chapters ago, the story will go dark later on. Don't worry about that, XoreandoX job isn't to difficult on that. _

_Also, Ruby vs Nora, Weapon OP._

* * *

'Glad to have you back with us, Yang.'

Weiss dryly commented while narrowing her eyes at the yawning blonde. Yang had just woken up from her nap after the lesson was over. Weiss knew that she should be more upset with Yang as she was a firm disbeliever in the saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. However in the same vein, Weiss believed that when referring to Yang it was more of a 'leopards can't change their spots' saying. But that really wasn't important now.

'Eh... yeah, good morning to you too, Weiss.'

Yang yawned again in an undignified manner that made Weiss struggle not to sigh. It has been a month since they were in Beacon and she has gotten used to how Yang was like. She never did stop lamenting about how the other two girls would make _much _better partners privately but the less time she spent complaining, the more things she could get done.

Especially since with Yang, any classes involve using their weapons or during their combat classes, Yang pulled the two's averages up.

It was just _shocking_ how Yang was so good in fights her knowledge on weapons in general. Weiss, as everyone knew, excelled in anything involving books, theory and book smarts and tactics, and , in her own humble opinion, she was the _smartest_ in class. Which was why she was irked that someone like Lie Ren, who never seemed to put much effort into anything, managed to match her test scores on their first ever pop quiz at Beacon.

'But first...a good morning kiss.'

Yang smiled mischievously as she leaned closer to Weiss, who simply flicked her forehead sternly with her finger in response. Yang scowled at that and as she got up, rubbing her forehead to try and soften the pain, while Weiss turned to follow the rest of her team.

Yes, her team, Team RWBY with their leader Ruby waiting not so patiently by the door. Their young leader had become more relaxed and confident over the past couple of weeks after their team exercises had started to bear fruit.

Honestly Weiss was impressed by the amount of thought that Ruby had put in trying to get the team to work together. She was also building on her strengths and weaknesses by simply picking all of their minds for improvement. Ruby wasn't the person who thought up the formation that they were working on, nor was she the one who suggested the training methods they would be using for each other. Ruby _was_ the one who came up with the idea of establishing roles within the formation like the field monitor, the forward, the support and the second in command.

All of them contributed to how they were going to work, train, study and even live together as a team. Weiss was surprisingly used to living like that. There were many unwritten rules that a Schnee must follow, for example she had been trained in the proper way a Schnee should eat and how one's attire must look like.

Those rules had been drilled into her at a young age and whether they liked it or not, she had expected others to follow the same rules to a certain extent as well. So being able to decide the house rules for all of them, like how they split the room, what they liked to do, what habits they had, by talking with one another, made things...dare she say it, feel more open?

Now that all of them knew each other, and knew what they expected from each other, they got along much better than before.

Of course that didn't stop Weiss from being frustrated at how Yang was like on most days, but that might be because their personalities didn't match. Weiss had accepted that and tried working with her to the best of her ability, though she wasn't sure what Yang herself thought about her though.

'Let's go guys! We'll be late for our next class if we don't hurry up.'

Ruby called cheerfully as Yang joined them before RWBY headed off as a group towards the gymnasium. Besides the internal team dynamics being established, they had also struck up a very close camaraderie with Team SNPR. Not that it was too much of a surprise considering the eight of them worked together to survive their initiation into Beacon.

..

'Did you prepare sufficient dust cartridges? We will be sparring individually today.'

Weiss remarked to Yang and the blonde nodded as she winked back in reply. Yang was obviously excited about this, since all of them had fought in teams/pairs until now in order to promote teamwork.

As Yang's partner and the person she was stuck with for _all_ of her assignments and projects, Team RWBY had therefore spent much of their free time working with each of their partners to get to know each other's style and abilities.

Yang was a very aggressive fighter that Weiss's own delicate and precise style was not a good matchup for her. There was just no way that she was going to try and block one of Yang's strikes, even if she wasn't using a dust cartridge to boost her attack.

Myrtenaster was a weapon that was too delicate to risk being destroyed by Yang. Not that she _couldn't _repair it, it was just difficult and it would take time, too much for Weiss to actually risk doing when sparring with Yang.

So spars with her partner would end up being a cat and mouse game where Weiss would have to dodge all of Yang's blows while keeping a sufficient distance between the two of them to launch her own attacks.

IIt was always a frustrating endeavour for Yang as Weiss adamantly refused to let her get in close, which was more than justified since one hit from Yang would defeat her.

It was more beneficial for Weiss to draw out their fights, increasing the pressure on her opponents and picking at openings was a strategy that she had to pick up and refine as that would be her main role within RWBY.

Yang would be the forward and their tank, since she was the only member of RWBY who would be able to take a hit and keep going. So her role was to engage the Grimms or their foes first, in order to focus their attention on her.

Blake would be their harasser as well as their main damage dealer. Blake was arguably the best RWBY had to offer when it comes to dealing damage due to the range and versatility her weapons offered, given the speed in which she launches her attacks and how she could attack from _any_ angle with it as well. That was not even considering what Blake could do with her clones and her natural agility.

Weiss might able to deal more damage with each of her dust rounds, but compared to the rate and overall damage that Blake could deal over time, Blake was the winner.

Ruby's role in the team was as their long range support, a role that she reluctantly accepted after it became apparent that despite having more than decent skills with her scythe, she was still the superior team member when it came to attacking at ranged.

Yang's ranged options while impressive and damaging, was too inaccurate and interfered with her close range fighting abilities.

Blake's pistol was just too weak and when she was within the range where it was effective in, she would rather be swinging her weapon instead of shooting.

While Weiss could out damage Ruby with each of her dust powered shots she suffered from similar issues like Yang.

Powerful? Check. Flashy? Check. Inaccurate? Not quite. Was imprecise? Double check.

So Ruby was their ranged support, allowing her to possibly take out their enemies with brutal efficiency without them even noticing her or simply showering their foes with Dust rounds to soften them up before Yang and Blake finished them off.

Lastly, Weiss was their monitor, a role that made her automatically their leader while on the field. She was responsible for being their eyes and ears on the battlefield while the rest of the team focused on engaging their enemies. Her role would include the identification of new threats, informing them of which was their next priority to engage and lastly to provide secondary cover for her team mates while doing so.

It was a very important role that required intelligence, adaptability and the ability to perform under pressure. Their lives were in her hands. She did feel a little annoyed that Ruby had effectively pawned off responsibility that she should be holding as leader of Team RWBY. However Weiss did feel touched and proud that all of her teammates and friends, yes, she could call them friends, agreed unanimously for her to take that role without hesitation.

..

All of them worked hard to familiarize themselves with their new roles and considering how Team RWBY was at the top of the class, it was working well. Incidentally, Team SNPR was also up there at the top with them. The two teams were almost equals since they had not been matched up together yet and they have the same undefeated streak. It'll happen eventually and Weiss was looking forward to that, to pit minds and strategy with the other team's leader, Emiya Shirou.

The other teams however weren't too shabby themselves for the most part, except for Team CRDL who was absolutely atrocious after Cardin Winchester returned from his suspension.

After Professor Ozpin suspended Cardin Winchester for a month, Velvet had been assigned as the temporary team leader of Team CRDL and while they weren't the best they were at least decent. Team CRDL was at the middle of the class which was still an accomplishment given there was internal friction between her and the other members.

She did do a decent job and on the surface at least, it looked like she was doing rather well.

RWBY and SNPR knew the truth, as Velvet was still being ostracised by the teammates she had and had some lingering resentment from the members of CRDL.

Velvet had gotten to hanging around SNPR instead of her old team since the incident and Weiss did not blame her. She would do the same if she was ostracised like that. That did not mean she liked the Faunus though, she just considered her circumstances and could be accepting of it. That was _all_.

The syllabus at Beacon were a mixture of theory and practical and the first month was something like a honey moon period for all of them. It had been that reason that Yang was so bored and fell asleep during class. They were going through all the last year materials as an introduction to Beacon, and anyone who graduated from an academy would have known what they were covering.

Ruby hadn't but she was an exception to the rules and Weiss, she just wanted to be thorough.

'I'm all ready to kick ass and take names, babe.'

Yang meant that, Weiss knew as much and the heiress gave her teammate a nod before preparing herself as well.

* * *

'Let's have a good match, Nora.'

Ruby bowed to her sparring opponent and the excited orange-haired girl grinned in anticipation as well. Her friend still had the endless energy that they all knew but during team battles she was strangely quieter and more focused. Ruby chalked it up to Shirou being a good leader that had managed to focus Nora's energies into something more beneficial and it really showed as Nora was able to keep formation for the duration of the match instead of going wild like what they imagine she'd do.

Nora's strength and surprising agility despite using such a heavy and powerful weapon meant that she was the bruiser in Team SNPR.

Although Ruby's role in team RWBY was their ranged support, she was good with her scythe and was more than comfortable enough to engage her opponents at close range. However a scythe, which was a slashing and cutting weapon was not going to cut it against Nora's blunt weapon of choice, her hammer Magnhild. Crescent Rose was going to be in a world of hurt trying to block Nora's blows.

One clean hit from Nora might take Ruby out and Ruby didn't have the necessary space for her to manoeuvre to get a clean hit on Nora, whether close up or from a distance.

One thing Ruby noted besides how Nora was a bruiser was how her aura levels were always constant and barely looked like she had used Aura at all. That was odd as Aura was part of one's soul, and every attack or defence that they did would use up some amount of Aura. But Nora's Aura readings doesn't seem to move at all. Either she has a great amount of Aura that it never registered or she was like Shirou, who _never_ uses Aura at all.

That makes matches with Shirou hardly ever fair as everyone swore that Shirou's semblance was an automated kind of healing as he never seemed to have a scratch on him no matter how hard he was hit, if ever at all. Like Nora, Shirou's aura levels were probably ridiculously high as well since Shirou never showed any signs that he tapped on his aura.

Aura usage was typically quite obvious, it would show up as a very brief white flash of light upon impact in an attempt to protect the user. Any being that was alive has an aura except for Grimms who have no souls. When someone has sufficient control over their Aura, they can use it to discover their Semblance. A semblance is a special ability that reflects their aura but it's also true that once an individual has unlocked their Aura, they would have unconsciously have some control over it as it enabled them to fight harder and stronger.

The most basic use of aura was to heal, strengthen and protect oneself and one didn't really need training to use it. It's instinct, or supposed to be, since Shirou _never _uses it at all, it makes people wonder if that is really true.

So readings from Shirou and Nora were defective, probably. Ruby had a hard time believing that Nora would be able to be so powerful without using Aura, the same for Shirou too as well.

But she should focus on Nora right now since her energetic friend was literally jumping in excitement. It was actually kind of jarring that she was looking forward to pounding her to a pulp, but she'll do it with a smile... right? No, that's the wrong thoughts to have right now.

Focus, Ruby, FOCUS!

'Begin!'

..

Ruby retreated almost immediately while changing Crescent Rose to it's rifle form instead of engaging Nora up front like she had hinted she might as she had left it in it's scythe form.

The quick retreat didn't seemed to catch Nora by surprise as she simply continued running after her anyway. That was to be expected, but she certainly didn't expect Ruby to be able to fire several shots at her before she even reached where she was before.

The first thing Ruby trained and practised hard for was reducing the time she needed to reload and fire. That minute difference in reload and firing speed might end up deciding a life or death situation.

Still this was a spar and so the amount of dust and the damage of all of her shots were reduced, but they would still sting. Ruby was hoping that Nora would concede defeat after being shot at almost point blank range, but alas it's not to be as Nora just continued charging towards her like a berserker.

She swung Magnhild repeatedly at Ruby while the redhead back-pedalled in circles while continuing to fire off shots at Nora. Ruby noted with some dismay and satisfaction that she was in control of the battle by setting how Nora would fight. Specifically, she'll only fight on her terms and Nora wasn't too happy about that as well.

'I can do the same!'

Nora declared, more than a little miffed and Ruby only had a split second to react as Nora slammed Magnhild on the floor and detonating one of her dust cartridges to kick up a huge cloud of dust to obscure her view.

Ruby's instincts kicked in and instead of retreating and putting some distance between the two, Ruby charged forward instead while turning Crescent Rose back to it's scythe form and swung down hard.

'Hehe. Surprise!'

Crescent Rose was blocked by what Ruby recognized as Magnhild's other form, that of a grenade launcher and the redhead shook her head as a reply. Manghild's muzzle was not pointed at her and was instead behind Nora, almost like a drawing position and was held down by Crescent Rose. Ruby still had a chance to push Nora away before she could take a shot. Magnhild's rounds were very powerful, but they were hardly one that chould be used in close proximity where she could be caught in the blast as well.

'Really? Okay!'

Nora replied cheerfully and really caught Ruby by surprise when she fired Magnhild anyway, the blast from the weapon pushing the two of them forward like a rocket. Nora had learnt or adapted Magnhild to power her movements too?

'I thought you weren't surprised? Hehe! Sorry, Ruby!'

The other girl slammed into Ruby and sent her flying, it took all of her strength and willpower to maintain a hold on Crescent Rose as she crashed to the floor loudly.

'Ouch, that hurt.'

Ruby muttered before getting to her feet and running. Although that hit _should_ have knocked her out, the match wasn't decided yet and she still had a chance. She was going to go down swinging!

..

The roles were now reversed as now Ruby was the one running with the close-ranged weapon while Nora happily fired off round after round at her. If the tiles of the small ring was not replaced every time they sparred, she wouldn't be able to run as quickly as she did. Nora was relentless and although she could not predict where Ruby's next position would be, her shots chipped away at the ground and made it just a little harder to run through the same patch again.

So Ruby had to end it now, or she'll just be blasted to pieces then again... or maybe not.

The two teams had practised together a few times and just like she knew Yang had individually 12 shots in each of Ember Celica, she had 30 rounds per cartridge and Blake had 8 for her pistol, she knew a little of how Team SNPR's weapons worked.

If she wasn't mistaken, then Nora has already fired 8 times, and since Magnhild has 12 shots per cartridge.

Ruby waited patiently while Nora just giggled cheerfully while turning the ground to dust with her shots. Timing it just right as Nora prepared to empty her last shot at her, Ruby changed direction and sped towards her instead.

Ruby's semblance was speed enhancement and she was the fastest in her class. It wasn't a very flashy semblance but it got the job done as she was in front of Nora in a heartbeat.

Only to be shocked herself as Nora was wielding Magnhild in the war hammer form instead.

'SURPRISE!'

Nora smiled again and as the hammer swung down on Ruby and she saw a flash of red before Magnhild slammed on the ground _beside_ Ruby. The scythe had pushed her hammer out of the way… but with that speed? How?

'Huh?'

Looking extremely surprised, Nora was not able to react when Ruby shoved her shoulder to push Nora away from her weapon.

Now unarmed, Nora pouted unhappily at Ruby who was standing with Crescent Rose firmly between her and Magnhild.

'Oh phooey! You win this time, Ruby! Congratulations!'

Nora was still optimistic and cheerful and she hugged Ruby hard while the redhead thanked her as well.

'Good fight, Nora, good fight.'

'Yeah! I had fun! Let's do that again!'

* * *

'How did you win?'

Blake asked curiously when Ruby sat down beside her. The raven haired girl had paid close attention to the fight and she knew that Ruby should've lost when instead of firing, Nora had switched Magnhild's form just as Ruby started running towards her.

Either Nora was smarter than she gave her credit for or she was just lucky as she was sure that Ruby had miscalculated the number of rounds Nora had left as she had already fired off one shot earlier to propel her forward and to knock Ruby away after all.

'Ahh... you mean what happened when Nora had me?'

Ruby scratched her head in confusion as she ran what had happened just now through her mind. She hadn't done anything special besides wishing she was just _faster_ and Crescent Rose had seemingly moved on it's own to hook Magnhild and to send it crashing to the side.

'I don't know, it's like a blur to me. I was too slow to do anything when Nora was ready to smash me... and the next moment she missed. I swore that it _couldn't _be me but it _was_. Let's test to see if I can replicate it later on, kay, Blake?'

'Yes, that would be good.'

Blake nodded in confirmation and perked up even more when the next sparring partners was decided. It was Yang versus Shirou and this was something that made all of them excited.

Yang had proven to be on par with Pyrrha when it came to pure strength and although the two of them had never sparred against each other publicly, during private sparring sessions, it was established that Yang could edge Pyrrha out just a little.

The two of them were evenly matched and if not for Pyrrha's semblance of Polarism that could be used to control magnetism, it would be over quickly as Yang's power and skill was just terrifying as a brawler.

'Go, Yang! Go, Shirou! Show us what you've got!'

Ruby cheered as the two of them bowed to each other in the sparring ring.

'The two of them have never sparred before, have they?'

Weiss asked softly as she paid close attention to the fight as well, even the heiress was looking a little pumped up given that she had a small blush on her face and winced when Yang charged forward quickly and landed a solid hit on Shirou's shield.

The sound of impact of gauntlet on shield made everyone cringe, especially Velvet who had secured a seat between RWBY and SNPR.

'Mm, nope this is the first time!'

Nora chipped in as she looked on, she was just as excited, if not even more as she smiled from ear to ear. The two teams were close and Weiss noted with some confusion that even Ren, who had taken to napping after a one sided landslide victory with one of CRDL's team members, was sitting up and paying rapt attention to the fight.

Weiss had her turn with Team CRDL as well, specifically Cardin Winchester and she had quickly put the man through the wringer before she eliminated him without even getting a scratch.

In a way, that fight was similar to Ruby's only Cardin charged forward without any plan and Weiss slowly picked him off just like that.

It was very embarrassing for him and Weiss didn't even consider that a warm up.

'The two of them... are holding back, right?'

Velvet asked in fear as Yang hammered Shirou hard without even giving him a chance to break free. It was actually quite a bad matchup for Yang as getting close to Shirou would still not guarantee victory.

As a brawler and one who fights with her fists, Yang was trained extensively at using her reaction speed and reading her opponent's movements to fight her enemies. One advantage of using fists in battle was that it was not just an extension of themselves, but rather her entire body was the weapon.

Even if Yang did not use her legs in her attacks, which she could her fists were still more than capable of leaving craters in most things. However the most important part about Yang's particular style of fighting was how she was relentless in her assaults. She would never let her opponent disengage and counter attack when she had them in her range.

But Shirou was like an impenetrable wall against Yang's relentless assault. With each punch she delivered, Shirou's shield and sword took and absorbed. It was miraculous, how Shirou wasn't even budging an inch after receiving an impact that would create craters.

'She _might_... but Shirou could take it.'

Weiss was confident in that fact, if there was _anyone_ who could take Yang's hammering blows, it was Shirou.

* * *

'How long can _you_ keep this up, Shirou?'

Yang asked in frustration while Shirou remained silent, as cool as a cucumber. Unlike Yang who couldn't keep this punishing pace up forever, Shirou could bid his time as long as he didn't allow Yang to land a clean hit.

She _swore_ that any other shield would have showed signs of wear and tear at this point.

'C'mon! Fight me! You can do that can't you, dar~ling~?'

Yang tried flirting with Shirou before sliding down in an attempt to get at his legs. It wasn't a cheap shot, since it was totally legal but Shirou simply jumped over her before swinging his sword down on her like an executioner.

'You're just playing hard to get~'

YYang was faster on her feet than Shirou so just before his sword could get her, Yang was already cocking back a punch that connected squarely with his shield. The two were once again unmoving, each testing their strength against each other.

'Oh, c'mon! Don't you want to put your hands on me too, Shirou?'

Yang winked while pressing herself against his shield. The class had gone extremely silent after seeing what Yang was doing, flirting and trying to seduce Shirou in the middle of a fight.

'You have a good tool down there, I got a good view just now.'

Numerous gasps came from the crowd as Yang smiled teasingly at Shirou, only for the boy to show absolutely no emotions at all as he just wordlessly shoved her back with his shield, and tapped his sword against his shield in an attempt to provoke her.

'Okaaay... it's on now. I'm kicking your ass and then pinching it.'


	10. Chapter 9

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 9_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: It just occurred to me that Kanshou x Bakuya is a husband x wife blade - So having Crocea Mors speak to them wouldn't end up being all adventurous and all - is it still bad that I laughed anyway?**

_BowP: If it was me, the fight would end with a forced victory. Nothing else to say. I'm a boring beta._

**XoreandoX: Well, I know that the dinner scene took a bit of work for all of us to get done, so hopefully it does its job. Besides that enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

Blake opened her mouth to speak but Ruby cut her off immediately while looking agitated and embarrassed.

'I don't know her. Do _you_ know her, Weiss?'

The heiress had never latched on in agreement to any idea as fast as she did with this one as she nodded sagely with a calm and placid expression on her face.

'I have no idea who that individual is. Is she _your_ friend, Blake?'

Weiss asked with the barest hint of a glare as she kept her eyes on the spar. Was it a spar? It didn't really sound like one to her. Especially not with what that dumb blonde was saying.

'…'

Blake refrained from answering as she simply cupped a hand over her mouth to hide her amusement. If they weren't going to laugh, she wasn't too as they were teammates and friends.

She desperately wanted to do so though and the raven haired girl found herself struggling to even stop giggling as she turned to look at her other friends.

Pyrrha was definitely more interested in the fight as the readhead's eyes were following the two's movements with a serious expression on her face. Pyrrha was a serious student and she worked well with Shirou as the two of them had seemingly came to an understanding with each other. There seemed to be two sides of the redhead, similar to the two sides of Shirou that Blake had started only recently to understand. Right now the serious Pyrrha was definitely in charge as she studied the two's movements. Her hands were twitching too and she reacted to every new punishing move by Yang. She was not as easily distracted as the rest, a trait she wish her friends could pick up.

Nora was still the same as ever, cheering the two of them on by waving her hands in the air. She should have expected that what Yang had said would sail over Nora's head like it was nothing. Then again, maybe she just wasn't interested.

Ren was rubbing his forehead in a sign of irritation and was that a slight blush on his face? He looked, kind of cute there for a moment. Maybe Yang's words were affecting her too...

'This might take a while.'

Blake choose wisely to comment on the fight instead to stop her thoughts from deviating into unknown territory. It was bad enough that she was already a little attracted to Shirou, she shouldn't be attracted to Ren… Still, she approved very much of Shirou's selfless act of defending and continued attempts to ensure that Velvet and the Faunus in general had an equal standing in Beacon.

Blake would even argue that it was Shirou himself who single-handedly brought up the issue of Faunus being treated as second class citizens in Beacon. It was not a one-time affair either, Shirou has even stood up for the second and third year students in Beacon and he was getting a small following of Faunus that were enrolled in Beacon Academy.

Remembering Velvet, Shirou's most ardent supporter and not so secret admirer, Blake was tickled pink and proud of her fellow Faunus that Velvet was behaving more like a territorial cat rather than a rabbit now as she was clutching the edge of her seat with a very focused expression on her face. She was _glaring_, the shy and timid rabbit faunus was glaring at Yang.

Territorial, much?

Blake commented inwardly with a small grin and subsequently stopped when Ruby commented instead.

'No, Yang is going to lose. She's using too much of her aura in her attacks and it's still not getting through to Shirou at all.'

Blake looked up to the screen that was displaying each individual's aura levels to see that Ruby was right, Yang was burning through aura at a steady rate while Shirou barely touched his at all.

This was an unfair match up to begin with as Yang had not even landed a single clean hit on Shirou yet. The only way that Yang would even be able to do so was perhaps when Shirou was attacking, but the knight wasn't doing that, instead he was patient and ready to turn it into a battle of attrition, which wasn't Yang's speciality.

'… So the entire match was rigged for Shirou and Nora huh?'

Blake commented but Nora didn't care, or didn't hear, either way it was Weiss who replied instead of Ren. The tired-looking boy did seem like he wanted to come to their team's defence but thought better of it.

'I am certain that neither the school nor Shirou or Nora did it on purpose. The general rules of combat in Vale is through the measurement of Aura. The initial levels of Aura by each participant is measured prior to the fight and is constantly monitored throughout the fight itself through the use of our school pins. In a way, it is extremely disadvantageous for individuals with lesser Aura as their aura levels would fall faster compared to others with more aura.'

Weiss explained while Blake nodded her head. That makes sense, however that meant that Nora had ridiculous amounts of aura for her levels to not even drop a quarter after seeing what she did with Ruby. Since using aura powered attacks tend to use up a lot of aura and Nora had used a lot of aura attacks. Which meant that she wasn't just a bundle of energy in _name_, she was one in practise as well.

Reading her mind, Weiss continued to speak while casually observing how Yang continued to try and breach Shirou's defenses. Yang had determined that since her punches were not strong enough to break through Shirou's guard, she'll try to find an opening instead.

'Nora must have an enormous aura reserve for her levels to depreciate insignificantly. It would be a battle of attrition against Nora but Ruby prevented that by disarming her and making it impossible for her to win. For Shirou, he is simply not using aura at all. Who knew having a non-aura based weapon would be beneficial in this manner.'

'Shirou is great with his sword and shield, and I had to unlock his aura for him, remember? Even now he doesn't want to even use it. I tried telling him to at least train with it, but he insists that he doesn't need to. I didn't even know you could suppress your aura usage.'

Weiss nodded to Pyrrha as she explained how Shirou was able to even suppress the most basic of aura usages.

'So battles with Shirou shouldn't even be done based on aura usage, as long as he doesn't get hit or doesn't surrender, he's an automatic winner. But it's a dangerous style as he does not have aura to protect him from the damage that we could deal when he can't dodge or block.'

Weiss ended her lecture with a firm nod before pointing out that it was soon time for the spar to end. Yang's aura levels was close to the mid point and that was when the match decided, at least in Beacon.

'… Not fair at all.'

Ruby whined softly as she watched Yang scowl, before she activated her semblance and started kicking up a cloud of dust that obscured everyone's view of the battle. The last anyone saw was Yang charging towards Shirou... -

'Woah she did it!'

Ruby cheered as Shirou' was knocked flying out of the cloud of dust from Yang's final attack. Yang had _finally_ managed to knock Shirou's shield to the side for her to land a clean hit that sent him flying and crashing to the floor a moment later.

When the dust settled, revealing Yang who was patiently waiting with a full blown smirk on her face ready for another round, before it changed to surprise as Shirou held both of his hands up into the air. The agreed sign of surrender.

'Winner – Yang Xiao Long.'

As the winner was declared, everyone seemed shocked at the sudden conclusion of the match when it seemed to be in Shirou's favor. The knight was grimacing as he stood up, hands up in surrender while Yang looked shocked before she scowled and shook her head.

'…'

Yang looked as though she had some words she wanted to say, but decided against it in the end as she walked over to Shirou. Why Shirou suddenly jumped a little when Yang's hand travelled behind him was very obvious though and the satisfied smirk on Yang's face made everyone blush again.

'She's no sister of mine.'

Ruby declared as her face landed on the table with a thud. Weiss was embarrassed and shrank down her seat while Blake chuckled out loud.

'I fail to see what is so funny, Blake! Yang is embarrassing us!'

Weiss hissed but she paused when she saw Blake pointing at Velvet and she gave a dignified snicker while covering her mouth.

The Rabbit Faunus was getting ready to jump from her seat straight at Yang if that was any indication of how her current position was in. Even if Velvet would stand _no_ chance at all, it did not mean that Velvet couldn't try and Blake did not know that the girl had it in her.

'Velvet, stop, what are you doing.'

Of course Pyrrha had to stop the antics before it got worse and the faunus girl blinked before realizing what she was doing.

'A-Ahh, what am I? Oh nooo!'

Velvet gave out a small panicked moan before dropping to hide below the table as Pyrrha tried to calm her down. It was _her_ fault, so she'll have to handle it.

'I didn't expect Yang to win though, that was a lucky shot on her part. I guess Shirou got careless… But he still had his sword.. so why did he surrender?'

Blake commented to Weiss and the heiress nodded her head as she shrugged.

'Who knows… but I guess that banter did work in the end... Though you should _never_ do that again.'

Weiss sternly pointed to Yang as the two of them came back to take their seats.

'Nope, that expression was priceless. Wish I could have taken it with my scroll.'

Yang chuckled while slipping into her seat and winking at Shirou. The knight simply gave an exasperated sigh before accepting the encouragement from his team about his lost. It seems like they were losing to RWBY by the thinnest of margins as both of their members had the match in their bag before they lost in the last moment.

'And he _does_ have a great ass.'

This time even Pyrrha blushed as Shirou groaned.

* * *

'Hey, wait a minute, Shirou!'

Shirou paused outside of class together with his team at the sound of Yang's voice. He really did not wish to be anywhere near the excitable blonde, he was still being teased endlessly by the blonde and his fellow classmates about the spar.

It wasn't even about the fact that he lost, but rather the circumstances that he lost. Yang had stated quite confidently that Shirou had only dropped his guard when Yang flashed her more than sizeable assets at him, causing him to lose his concentration.

Whether that was the truth, well no one else other than himself would know the truth.

Pyrrha had of course been his first defender, stating that Shirou would never do that. And if he did, he lost because he wanted to protect Yang's modesty.

As if Yang cared about that, the blonde was clearing trolling for trouble half the time even if she hadn't acted on any of the advances made by the innocent and naïve boys who let hormones do the thinking. If Shirou didn't know that she was more than capable of handling herself in a fight he'd be more concerned.

'Mou! I said wait up!'

Shirou had not wanted to wait for Yang and despite his chivalrousness to women, all women actually, Shirou actually balked and wanted to flee on sight. He held on however and he gave a wry smile to his team mates before turning to meet his maker.

Honestly though, that girl has more than talent. She has experience and even if he wasn't affected by her taunts and attempts to catch him off-guard, she would do very well against another person.

Though not against a large Grimm though, but she had enough power and skill in her to take down most Grimms. Yang didn't have the power necessary to make herself truly unstoppable. While she was more than a match for anything, however humans without aura were still fragile beings.

All things considering, her semblance was impressive too, fire generation was a form of elemental control and that itself was a rarity in itself. If she could learn to harness and use that power and add it to her already formidable power, she'll be a monster in combat.

But until then, she was still a work in progress.

In regards his teammates though, Nora had simply ignored most of the details and just made Shirou promise to train her hard the next time to help her beat Ruby.

From what he saw of the fight, Nora had Ruby in checkmate but somehow Crescent Rose had sped up at the last minute, causing her to lose. Nora was a good kid, she was true to herself Nora was a good kid, she was true to herself even if she had not formed her ideals firmly she put her heart and soul into what she's doing. He didn't mind giving her more pointers on how to use Magnhild, it was truly a magnificent weapon.

She was a person that was likely a reincarnation from the Age of the Gods, or one that was truly blessed as the design of that weapon did not belong in this world.

Out of _all_ the weapons that he had laid eyes on in Beacon, Magnhild was the only one who had _history_, had _purpose_ that was beyond what the creator had in mind.

Nora had claimed that Magnhild's blueprints came to her from a dream and Shirou believed her. It was powerful and she deserved to know how to use it to the best of her abilities.

Ren hadn't seem too perturbed with his performance, simply saying that he'll have to do better next time with a small nod. It was well in character for Ren, besides the fact that he had been paying attention to his fight, which wasn't usual for the lazy boy.

He was a genius, Shirou could see that and he was glad that he trusted him as he hadn't outed him out for that as well. Perhaps that was his show of loyalty?

..

Back to the topic at hand, he composed himself and turned around.

'Hey, Yang. Good fight, huh?'

Shirou gave the blonde a cheerful smile while she grinned back while tilting her hips to the side.

'Great! For the second half at least, I had soooo much trouble trying to get you to loosen up you know, darling~'

Yang winked while running a hand over her chest, Shirou didn't take the bait and fought the urge to roll his eyes at the other students who were gossiping around the two of them as they walked away. Yang was either loving the attention or just didn't know how to pick the place, he was sure it was the former. The girl had too much street smarts for one her age.

Then again, he wasn't acting their age as well.

'It's a valid strategy, and I would have won too.'

Shirou reminded Yang of how he had held her off rather easily for the entire duration of the match and that brought a tick on Yang's face.

'I knocked you out with one punch, Emiya Shirou, _one punch_, need me to spell it out for you, glass jaw?'

The punch did hurt, but he wasn't knocked out by one punch. He had his shield knocked aside with one punch, which was still only somewhat true, but that's something for another day.

'I wasn't knocked out with that punch, I was simply disarmed and unwilling to suffer more damage than I wish to. Besides...'

Shirou gave an uncharacteristic mischievous grin as he leaned back slightly to rest against a wall.

'You just admitted that you had a very hard time, and against an opponent who wasn't using aura, no less.'

Yang's mouth dropped open briefly before she clenched her fist angrily, looking like she was ready to punch him. Knowing that what he said really riled her up and he should apologize, however before Shirou could do so, she had spoken first.

'Well, you're certainly the first person I wasn't able to score a clean knockout on, Shirou. I kinda like that, it proves you got more than what you seem to show everyone. Besides that nice ass and what you're hiding below the belt.'

Yang licked her lips teasingly again while Shirou simply humored her with a shrug of his shoulders.

'I appreciate the compliments, Yang, but what's this about? You didn't call me back to hit on me, did you? You already did that repeatedly in the spar. In more ways than one.'

Shirou asked testily, wondering what Yang would possibly want from him. He had to correct himself on what he said earlier, both of them knew exactly what happened in that last hit.

'Ha ha, you're a funny man, Shirou. No, I called you back because you will take me out for dinner tonight.'

Yang tapped a finger on her hip as Shirou looked at her, wondering if she was crazy.

'You're joking.'

Shirou finally replied eloquently while Yang raised an eyebrow in response to his words.

'Nope, I'm not, and in addition to that.'

Shirou was not prepared for the sudden blur of movement that left Yang gripping his collar. She had pressed herself right up to him and he could feel Yang's body and breath on him as she smiled, showing her teeth aggressively.

'You're not saying no, got it?'

While he could shake her off by shoving, that would be quite rude, not to mention the bystanders staring at them, and so he just settled with giving her a calm and measured look.

"Well, in that case, I will be honored to.'

* * *

'Hey, Ruby...'

Ruby looked up to look at Pyrrha who had called her during dinner. It had became a habit for team SNPR and RWBY to have their dinner together together with Velvet. Only tonight the faunus girl was nowhere to be seen. Nora knew exactly why though and she sighed as she wondered what Yang was doing. Was she just messing with Shirou? She thought that Shirou was too good a person for Yang to pull that on him. Then again, Ruby had been more than tickled pink after Blake had retold the incident of how Velvet had been more than willing to _fight_ Yang for Shirou. She found it to be adorable, but if Yang was serious about Shirou... all bets were off.

'Yes?'

'… Is Yang, really serious about Shirou?'

Well looks like it wasn't just her that was having the same thoughts and Ruby stopped eating and instead choose to lean back before replying.

'I honestly don't know... but before I say more, I think I should be honest and tell you that Yang... has a habit of stringing boys up...'

'Stringing... boys... up?'

Nora interjected with a bright smile and Blake was the one who replied. Guess this was the topic for the night and Ruby ignored how Weiss was paying attention as well. Why must her sister be so troublesome again?

'She meant that Yang likes to play with other boy's heart. That's not a good habit to do, Ruby...'

'Try telling that to Yang, Blake... But Yang never did it to someone who didn't deserve it.'

Ruby narrowed her eyes defensively before anyone could try and demonize her sister. Her sister's image wasn't the best in the school due to what she wore in her free time and how she liked to garner attention with her words and actions.

Ruby did not know why Yang did what she did, but she trusted her sister to know _what_ to do and never questioned her.

'They deserved it? Why would they deserve it?'

Nora asked again and it was Weiss who replied with a flush on her face.

'That meant that the boys who Yang toyed with were only interested in Yang for her body, Nora. You have to be careful as well.'

Weiss liked to treat Nora as a child even though they were the same age but since Nora didn't mind, no one called her out on that.

'Oh, okay! But Ren would protect me.'

Weiss also agreed with the rest of the girls on how they thought that Nora and Ren's co-dependence was simply adorable. What was also a matter of fact was how Nora was just not ready for a relationship and Ren didn't bother with one.

Still, they would cross that bridge when they reach it.

'I'm sure he would.'

Weiss pointedly looked at Ren who didn't even react beyond slowly eating his tray of food. Honestly that boy was just too laid back, if he put in effort he could do anything!

'Answer my question, Ruby. Is Yang serious about Shirou?'

Pyrrha interrupted them by pointing a fork at Ruby aggressively while the redhead startled and nodded her head to try and placate her.

'I really don't know, Pyrrha. I mean, has she paid so much attention to Shirou before? Yang is friendly with everyone actually, and she hasn't been up to her old habits.'

'That doesn't mean she couldn't start now!'

'Why are _you_ so excited about it anyway, Pyrrha.'

Blake interjected and the raven-haired girl had a teasing smile on her face that caused Pyrrha to turn red before saying hotly that it was for the sake of the team.

'I'm just worried for the team. What if Shirou rejects Yang? It'll be awkward between the two teams.'

Pyrrha had a good point there, but Ruby couldn't help herself to tease the other redhead as well. It was rare for them to have a chance to tease Pyrrha as she was a model student, even more so than Weiss.

There were plenty of opportunities to tease the heiress, mostly about her naivety and lack of street smarts. Pyrrha had none of those problems and that meant the quota to tease Pyrrha had never quite been met.

'I'm sure Yang would get over it. What if Shirou accepted? It's not that common for girls to confess to their crush now, is it?'

Ruby snickered as Pyrrha turned red, no doubt remembering how a faunus girl that wasn't Velvet had confessed to Shirou two weeks ago during lunch hour.

He had been a perfect gentleman about it, but it was also true that he had rejected her without even considering the matter.

..

'Shirou would never... right?'

Pyrrha sounded doubtful even to herself and when looking at her friends was relieved that they were undecided as well.

'At least we know that Mr. Knight is able to break a girl's heart. I thought that he would accept the confession by sheer principal of her asking him out _first_.'

Weiss answered calmly while the other girls chuckled a little at the title of 'Mr. Knight'. It was a term that Weiss had used so much that it had became Shirou's pseudo nickname by the students in Beacon.

'That's true... besides, you should know who Shirou is interested in, right, Pyrrha?'

Blake directed the question back at Pyrrha and the redhead frowned before shaking her head. That was the point! If she knew, she wouldn't be so worried and panicked now, would she?

'I don't... but I hope... that Yang really isn't playing with Shirou's feelings.'

'Eh.. why's that?'

Nora asked the question that everyone neglected to ask and the redhead looked conflicted before she answered softly.

'I can't explain it... but … Shirou is only married to his ideals.'

'His... ideals?'

Ruby asked quietly as she remembered what Shirou had told him the night after they had been appointed as team leaders. That look on his face, it was something she had never seen Shirou give anyone before.

'Well if that's all... Good luck in telling Velvet that.'

Blake declared with a scowl and a pout before she started giggling along with the rest of the girls.

That's right, there biggest fangirl of Emiya Shirou was probably stalking the two of them right now.

Good luck to Yang or Shirou there!

* * *

'You certainly don't go out at all, do you, Shirou?'

Yang asked her date for tonight, Emiya Shirou, who was dressed in the same outfit that he usually does. Though Yang was in a similar state so she had no right to complain. Still, Shirou looked distinctly uncomfortable when they were being ushered to their seats in the restaurant that Yang had booked for their date. She was not letting him ruin this opportunity she had made for herself. When in doubt, or rather – if you want something done, she'd have to do it herself.

That was exactly what Yang had done, she had made Shirou accompany her, shook off the stalker Faunus girl after they left the interchange and had slipped into the restaurant unmolested.

Yang just had to hope that the final part of her plan would work, but as it involved Shirou directly, she wasn't _that_ confident about that.

'No I don't, I prefer home cooked food myself.'

Shirou admitted with while scratching his head, he might have the etiquette right, but he was still uncomfortable. It was kind of cute actually, and it worked well. With any luck Shirou wouldn't be able to walk away when she dropped that question on him later on.

'Hmm... Why didn't you try cooking at Beacon then, Shirou?'

Shirou actually looked more awkward, even slipping his elbow from the table in his nervousness. Yang raised an eyebrow at the reaction, that was certainly over the top.

'Let's... just say it was a too much of a success when I did.'

Shirou scratched his head and was saved by the waitress before he could say any more, leaving Yang more curious as she leaned forward a little bit more. Maybe, she could like this date just a little bit more due to that?

..

'Hmm…'

Yang peered intensely at him for a while, doing a good show of batting her eyelids at him but he did not even notice. It wasn't like he was avoiding her eyes, but he looked awkward - and out of his environment. So, how could she make him more comfortable before the brass tacks comes out?

'Shirouuu, I admit~~ I'm curious… Could you tell me a bit more about you, yourself? And maybe your weapon as well?'

Yang smiled sweetly at him while taking a sip of her drink, her hands playing with the top of the glass as Shirou paid attention to her.

'You're so mysterious, everyone wants to know more about you – the faunus girls especially – In fact I had to lose one of them on our way here too.'

Yang smirked when Shirou winced, he hadn't noticed – had he?

'And no matter how hard I pounded your shield, it wouldn't give. So that must be one tough shield you got there, and you didn't even use aura on it either.'

Hopefully Yang's conversation topic didn't bore Shirou as she leaned closer, her eyelids fluttering again as she tried to get Shirou to lose himself in her eyes – it wasn't working as he had a thoughtful expression on his face.

'Well, she was made of the finest metal at the time of her creation. The shield and the sword, is named Crocea Mors. I believe that I've said that before.'

Shirou didn't offer anything more about that – but he did slip up there as Yang pounced on the discrepancy.

'You call your weapon a _she_, are you one of those weapon freaks?'

That could definitely come out better, but that was expected of Yang and to her surprise, Shirou gave a delicate cough as he looked awkward for a moment.

'Well, it's complicated, and I'd rather not say why.

'Oh, now you have _got_ to tell me about that now! C'mon, Shirou!'

Yang reached over the table in an attempt to hold his hands. Men were always were looking for opportunities to have some skinship with her, and here she was offering this opportunity on a silver platter for him!

'… I'd really rather not. It's just… a feeling. It's hard to describe, actually.'

Shirou paused as he kept his hands out of reach, much to Yang's annoyance.

;Speaking of which, your attacks did make an impact, polishing it would be difficult… Your weapon's are like a gun in that sense, with all the dust residue. I'm curious about how you designed your weapon as well.'

Shirou seemed interested in a topic change but Yang wasn't as she just laughed before picking up her glass of water.

'I guess you can say I got my inspiration from – a legacy of a misspent youth? Or did you hear that excuse before?'

Yang grinned as their meals arrived. Shirou waited for Yang to start, but the blonde didn't seem too interested in her meal.

'Go ahead Shirou – I'm letting my stomach settle for a bit before I start, I'm good, really!'

Yang apologized, but Shirou was certain she wasn't sincere about it. The girl wanted something from him, and even if he had three guesses to get them right, he probably only needed one to know why Yang dragged him out tonight.

But, there was no need to rush. So speaking with her in his politest tone, he had gotten to see hear some stories about Yang's time at Signal while he had told her about his life with the Tiger of Vale

It was only after the two of them had dug in and some casual conversation had been exchanged did she dropped the question innocently

'So, during the fight… Did you use your semblance or aura at all?'

'Did you use your semblance or aura at all?'

Shirou's eyebrow twitched once but he remained mostly unphased.

'I didn't... I don't like to. I rather not hurt anyone unless I have to. So my strategy was to outlast everyone, I almost got you too. I just wasn't expecting your semblance to be able to raise the dust up into the air. It got into my eye for that split second... That was a good tactical move that you made – you should refine it more.'

Yang seemed genuinely surprised and she pursed her lips when she considered it.

'Huh, I didn't even know. Time to work that to the ground...? But even with that, I didn't think I would -'

Yang stopped, as Shirou had raised a hand up to stop her.

'I think we should focus on dinner, Yang, we can talk about this later. You didn't need to pull me out here to ask those questions.'

Yang paused before she gave a toothy grin in reply – an act that made a shudder run up Shirou's shoulders.

'You're right there.'

* * *

Though Shirou had brought Yang out for dinner like she had asked for, Shirou continued to ignore and dismiss the main question Yang wanted answered. As a result of Shirou's deflections, the rest of the night was ruined for Yang. Yang had not been willing to let it end that way and she had dragged Shirou out of the restaurant to settle the issue together, hence the two of them now standing opposite each other by the pier.

..

'Stop giving me excuses!'

'I'm not.'

'You are, Emiya Shirou and don't you try and deny it! Now frigging answer me already! You can't get away with just ignoring me or lying your ass off.'

Yang prodded the man's chest while fire gathered around her in a flaming cloak. Despite the rising temperature, Shirou never said a word as he stared back at Yang unflinchingly.

'You said I'm lying? I never lied at all...'

'You just left things out, right? I'm not some naïve and innocent girl like Velvet or even Weiss? I'm not! I'm Yang Xiao Long and I've been around. I can take it!'

'You are indeed more than what you seem to be, Yang. But just like how you have your secrets. I have mine.'

Shirou answered smoothly as he forced Yang to release him. Her wrists started to hurt from the pressure that Shirou applied on her and the 'Knight' of Beacon walked away, leaving Yang behind him.

'Stop ignoring me! Come back here, Shirou!'

Yang stomped her feet angrily but she stopped when Shirou replied coldly with a flare of his killing intent.

'Make me.'

Seeing Yang freeze up, Shirou simply lowered his eyes and walked away from the shivering blonde

'Stop... holding... back AND TREAT ME SERIOUSLY. DAMNITTTT!'

Yang roared out in frustration as her semblance threatened to set fire to everything around her.


	11. Chapter 10

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 10_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: I got a new beta - Nephirin - who didn't add his beta comments to this chapter. I'll get him to do that in the next chapter. Thank you for helping out!  
**

**Also, it has came to my understanding that I can _never_ do battle scenes as much as I wish to. It's just, beyond me. It's no my origin, I'll just keep telling people that.**

**I see in the reviews that there are cries for where is Shirou is going to unleash his skills - and I've came upon the view that either people in RWBY is insanely strong, or insanely weak doe to their semblances, and that's food for thought to consider as I reply the earlier question: 'Shirou doesn't have a reason to show his skills and exotic abilities, if any, just yet. Why should he do that when the Grimms are something that all of them are training to deal with? It's not like he is trying to stand out or anything - right?'  
**

**Lastly - I would like to introduce all of my readers to my muse, Catherine - she can be the one to be blamed for all the cracked stuff that happens in PooL - admittedly XoreandoX pulled the semblance on me - but Catherine gave her the image and the personality. She exists in another plane, like Akasha, and loves to screw with my plans. So if anything happens - blame Catherine.**

**Do enjoy Chapter 10 of PooL!**

* * *

_XoreandoX: It would appear I have been deceived about 4 chapters ago, when bowpurity left his co-author comment asking for beta-readers. It turns out what he really needed was someone else to delegate his co-author work to, so he can work on other things. Still I enjoy what I've done to help with this story so I won't complain about that, with that said I would like to welcome our new beta-reader to the story, Nephirin; it seems since becoming a co-author for this fic, my abilities in spotting grammar errors has diminished somewhat since I know what wrathie is trying to convey in most of the chapter, so the extra editing helps keeps things going. In regards to the events in chapter, I'll admit that it did feel like a bit of a filler chapter given that it mostly followed up on Team RWBY and SNPR reactions to Shirou and Yang's Date, but considering what we hope to explain/allude in the next chapter, I feel it is justified._

* * *

**BowP: More than just that, XoreandoX has his lore and character knowledge down pat. His ideas are ingenious. Wrath and I ideas clash constantly and frequently, Oreando's ideas fit well in Wrath's storyboard. One day, we went to ask him about ideas and boom, one thing led to another and I'm happy to pass down the torch. I'm fraid I'm not skilled in the idea generation part. As it is, I'll resume my beta work. Also, Welcome, Nephirin. Welcome to Betas.**

* * *

'Welcome back, Yang.'

Yang stiffened without meaning to as Blake's voice echoed in the room. She had been trying to sneak in _after_ everyone had fallen asleep and she thought that waiting for half an hour _after_ the lights went off would be long enough.

Apparently not as she had been busted the moment she entered the room. Curses, she had even waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness before sneaking in.

'Aha... yeah, and a good night to you too, Blake.'

Yang scratched her head sheepishly out of habit. It wasn't the first time she had tried to sneak in after breaking curfew after all and it wasn't the first time she had been caught by someone else.

Blake's voice had been uncanny, they were just like the dorm warden's eyes she had in Signal and Yang found herself unwittingly turning to look at Blake with her glowing yellow eyes.

Wait, glowing yellow eyes? That was certainly new... oh who was she kidding – she knew exactly why they were colored that way.

'Kinda dark... for you to spot me, don't you think?'

Yang managed to compose herself to get a dig right back at Blake and she smirked when Blake started. However, before Yang could make her escape, Blake cleared her throat and said:

'If you'd like, I could just wake everyone up now.'

Yang scowled but then smirked again.

'You play dirty. I like that.'

Blake smirked back as she patted her bed while pointing at Yang. Yang would really prefer not talk about tonight, but she knew Blake would act on her threat easily. She would find out tomorrow anyway, so why was she so nosy?

'Yang?'

Blake warned her again and this time the blonde conceded defeat before sliding on top of Blake's bed. To be honest, perhaps she needed the physical contact to make her relax a little. It had... been a terrible night.

'So... what happened?'

When Yang first met Blake, she would never have thought that the straight faced girl would be so nosy, but then again she had never thought that she would break Weiss out of her shell and was now firm friends with her. Yes, she could call Weiss a good friend as well. And there she thought the sky would be falling down before _that _happened.

'… Nothing happened.'

Yang answered softly and truthfully while ignoring how Blake's jaw dropped. She had expected _something_ hadn't she? That made one of them at least, Yang had no illusion of what was going to happen earlier because she had been the one to initiate contact. Then again, she was feeling all drained out despite the fact nothing happened like she had said.

'Nothing?'

Blake asked, she was probing, that much Yang could know but the blonde didn't care at this point. Blake had one hand on hers and she really, really needed the physical contact after the rough night.

'Nothing. You happy about that? Guess Velvet might get her shot after all.'

'… I never said that.'

'I never said you did. But would you?'

Yang replied bluntly and regretted it for Blake look upset as she bit her lip. She hadn't meant to upset her friend, much less over a guy.

'… It's hard for me to say. I would agree that Velvet would appreciate Shirou more however... and seeing you haven't made a move up till now, we were... concerned to say the least.'

'… and you say I meddle. You guys suck. You were gossiping behind my back.'

Yang accused with a dry chuckle that was quiet enough for none of the room's sleeping inhabitants to pick up. Only Blake would know after all, but she really hoped that her sister was asleep at least.

'Turnabout's fair play, Yang. Do I have to remind you on how you liked to gossip about Ren and Nora when they weren't around?'

'They are _made_ for each other. Their whole lives _revolve_ around each other! The very fact they need _reminders_ and _hints_ is unnatural!'

Blake agreed but she wasn't letting Yang get away with accusing them, it's like the pot calling the kettle black.

'That aside, really... nothing happened?'

'… Nothing _I _wanted to happen at least. We had dinner, we talked. He was sweet, like what Mr Knight is supposed to be.'

Yang rolled her eyes in the darkness, something she knew Blake would know about as the faunus girl. She _had_ to be a faunus now with the way her bow twitched. One would be dumb to not spot that.

'… You don't like it when he treats you like that?'

It wasn't a question; of course any girl would want to be treated like that. God, did that mean that Blake was crushing on Shirou too? This was... just a little too much!

'Okay, pull back there for a bit. You'll like it?'

'Many girls would.'

Blake answered, a little too defensively for her liking. So that clinches it. Blake had a small crush on Shirou too. Not that surprising actually seeing how aggressively Shirou defends the Faunus of Beacon.

'Okay, point, true enough there – But... that isn't him. At least, that's not the Shirou that I know.'

'… What is the Shirou that you know, Yang?'

Blake asked and Yang paused as she considered that question hard. All that she thought she knew about Shirou had been false, and true at the same time and the fiery drake of Signal gave a small sigh before plopping down to snuggle besides Blake.

'A man with a secret. A big one. And no, I'm not sharing – rejection or not.'

'He rejected you then.'

Blake reminded her of her failure but the blonde didn't care as she just snuggled harder against the now protesting Blake.

'Answer me, Yang! Did he reject you? Or did you reject him?'

Ahh messing with people, here in RWBY she was still the master.

'Good night, Blake. You wouldn't want to wake the others would you?~'

* * *

'… So, how did it go last night?'

Pyrrha asked conversationally as they headed to breakfast together. She had never been the best at social norms and to her great surprise, she was still the best in team SNPR. Shirou was a little too stiff and polite for normal people, that didn't mean it didn't make him popular for it did. Nora was hardly the starling example of a normal teenager and Ren simply didn't say more than he had to.

She, Pyrrha Nikos was the best in social etiquettes for Team SNPR, somehow a little part of her died the moment she thought that.

Pyrrha also did notice, belatedly, that perhaps she had not been too subtle with her question. Then again, Shirou had once said that it was her openness and honesty that was her greatest virtue so she just shrugged it off with the same grin that she wore every day. She was happy with her team, more than happy actually as she was able to train more, fight more and be with people she really related with.

Shirou with his ideals, Nora with her go-getter attitude and Ren... well, Ren was Ren.

'With Yang?'

Shirou asked casually back and Pyrrha actually had to give a double take at the way he said it. Like it _didn't_ matter. Or perhaps she was just mistaken as Shirou's expression softened briefly before scratching his head.

'It's complicated. She wanted things... from me, but I had other ideas.'

It was vague, too vague but Pyrrha knew better than to pry when he had been at least honest with her.

'Are the two of you still friends, Shirou? We'll be seeing her at breakfast you know. At least tell us if we need to sit away from them for a bit.'

Pyrrha watched as Shirou frowned and her shoulders sagged when Shirou gave a shrug. She should have expected _that_.

'… Great. Just... really, really, great.'

Shirou sighed in response while her own smile was forced and was probably twitching at the edges of her mouth, she _just_ knew it that was the case. Perhaps Ren had the right idea today after all?

'I'm sure you're exaggerating it.'

..

If Ruby noticed the hidden tension between Velvet and Yang the next day, she chose not to comment or even bring it up. She knew that her sister was back late last night and although she really wanted to know what happened, she was not risking the wrath of Velvet to get any answers from Yang.

Yes, Velvet. The Faunus girl had latched on to Shirou almost immediately after she spotted the Knight of Beacon.

Before that however it was also quite apparent how the meeting between Yang and Shirou had been a little awkward. At least for Yang as the blonde hadn't immediately broken out in that big smile that Ruby was used to seeing when greeting her friends.

That was only a momentary slip from Yang however as Yang had then greeted Shirou with a big grin and elbowed him cheekily on how well he had treated her last night.

It might be a jab at Velvet too as the Faunus girl was only a moment behind the two of them and from then on, the battle began.

At least, that's what Ruby thought as Yang had simply dismissed Velvet's subtle taunts and subsequently posturing to push Velvet out of the way. Either Yang simply did not consider Velvet a threat or she simply did not care, Ruby could not figure that out as she had been sufficiently vague with her replies to Velvet.

Shirou has been his usual self though and was as chivalrous as one could be in the middle of two squabbling girls that were after his attention.

Or maybe make that one squabbling girl if Ruby was reading the situation right.

It was a crying shame too as Yang had treated Velvet so well when they first met too. Yang always did like spoiling others and Velvet had been in the receiving end of it for some time.

It seemed that their friendship won't be the same as before and Ruby found that it was over Shirou made it doubly ironic as Shirou would never want that to happen.

But love was blind, or was it?

Was Yang really toying with Shirou after all? Ruby hoped not, but she couldn't just discount the possibility that was the case too.

It was such a dilemma.

* * *

'So… what are you guys going to do later on?'

It was Pyrrha who broke the silence, a fact that Ruby was very grateful for. Her fellow redhead was doing her best to keep the peace between RWBY and SNPR and sadly for her, Ruby felt that the worse thing about this scenario was that there was nothing out of the ordinary at all.

One might know that there was something wrong, one might even work out that something was wrong. However if none of them admits that something was wrong, then nothing was wrong, it was as simple as that and it's utterly frustrating to be at the end of such a situation as well.

'Hmm… we're going on a field trip tomorrow to Forever Fall right? I was hoping that we could train a little, but maybe it'll be better if we rest earlier and prepare for tomorrow's trip?'

Ruby suggested to her team mates and Blake nodded her head in agreement as she looked up from her meal.

'Forever Fall is not far away, but it is still a dangerous place as there are a large concentration of Grimms in the area. I was planning to visit the armory to restock.'

'So we're not training today? Awww… I really wanted to work with Shirou today. I'm not losing to Ruby next time!'

Nora jumped in with a big grin while Ren simply shrugged. It was just like Ren to not have an opinion about what they were going to do together.

'Hmm… training sounds nice, but I'm all out of ammo after yesterday's spar. I'll have to work on getting some more dust cartridges.'

Yang mused thoughtfully and she gave a small grin when Velvet chipped in as well.

'I'll… I'm okay with training if Shirou going be helping Nora.'

She declared while staring at Shirou hopefully and the leader of SNPR considered before nodding his head.

'I'm good, but we'll have to cut it short to get you guys some rest before tomorrow's trip. Will Ren be joining us?'

The black-haired boy considered for a moment before shrugging and nodding his head in confirmation.

'Yaaay! Ren too?'

As Nora tackled Ren, almost making him spill his dessert, Weiss cleared her throat and suggested to her team.

'Well, then, as long as we're training, I've been working on another idea for a formation that we could adopt.'

'Another formation, Weiss?'

'Yes, perhaps we could have Blake take point in one of our formations. Even if it might seem that we have limited ranged options, on the contrary we have enough to possibly overwhelm a small area.'

Weiss paused before giving an unimpressed sniff at how Shirou was waiting expectantly.

'We are still rivals, Shirou. As much as I appreciate your assistance, Mr. Knight, I am not foolish enough to give up any advantage that would allow us to roll over you.'

Weiss smirked as Shirou scratched his head sheepishly.

'Well it was worth a shot. Shall we go now? Are you resting today, Pyrrha?'

Shirou stood up and with the exception of Pyrrha, team SNPR followed him together with Velvet.

'No, I need to get some supplies from the armory. My armour is a little worn, so I thought I'll patch it up a bit. I'll catch up with you all later!'

Pyrrha grinned as she watched the rest of her team leave, leaving her alone with team RWBY.

'Well then, shall we go too?'

* * *

'We have to talk.'

Weiss pulled Yang away the moment they left the cafeteria and gave Pyrrha and Ruby meaningful looks as they simply nodded their heads and pretended not to notice. Weiss could tell from how Yang clicked her tongue that she was _not_ impressed with the way she had tried to get her alone.

'So, we make out now?'

Yang's words would have normally left the heiress spluttering but when Weiss simply raised an eyebrow to her snarky retort, Yang scratched her head and sighed. So even Weiss was trying to cheer her up, or at least find out what happened last night.

Likely all of RWBY and SNPR was interested, Velvet was probably _dying_ to find out but she was just not going to tell anyone that as it was still difficult for her to come to terms with what happened that night.

With Weiss being a person who was practical and would never believe something unless she sees it for herself, Yang was sure that her partner would not believe her.

Even if the two of them have became good friends and decent partners over the past month.

'Alright, so we don't make out. What about later?'

'Uh huh... As much as I would want to tear into you verbally for making that suggestion, I would really not want to force Ruby or Pyrrha to rejoin our little conversation.'

Weiss raised an eyebrow at Yang and the blonde gave her a measuring look before she sighed again.

'Look, I really appreciate it. I do, really, but...'

'But...?'

Weiss prompted with a small sniff of unhappiness at how Yang was holding things back and the blonde pinched her nose before stopping and leaning against the wall to face Weiss.

They were lucky that the corridor they were in was empty and the two girls stared at each other for a while longer before Yang spoke again.

'I wouldn't say it's complicated... but it really is. It's the elements that make it hard for me to explain... and the worse part is, I'm not sure that I can, or should or whether I got it all wrong. It's... confusing.'

'… Yang.'

Weiss didn't know what to actually say to that and the heiress kept quiet for a moment as Yang just chuckled while running a hand through her hair in frustration as well.

'If it's so hard to explain what happened, then could you at least answer me this one question.'

Weiss asked softly while reaching to gently hold Yang's grip. Physical comfort that was initiated by the heiress was a rare thing and that made Yang's heart ache. Her friends were all worried for her, that was a sign of trust. But all the more she _couldn't _let them know what happened between her and Shirou.

'Shoot.'

She'd lie if she had to.

'Would it affect how you work with Shirou in the future?'

That question was typical of the pragmatic Weiss and Yang gave a snort as she chuckled weakly in reply.

'Well as long as he doesn't get too distracted staring at my hot ass. Or me with _his_.'

Yang added as an afterthought.

'No it won't.'

It was a half truth, she would never look at him in the same light but it was mostly positive. It might even be a source of inspiration in some way more than frustration.

'Then it's fine. I'm glad.'

'… Glad that you could get a shot yourself? I admit, both of us are hot available, but you should start soon or you'll miss a chance on mine or _his_ hot ass.'

Yang tried to rile Weiss up but it failed as Weiss gave a light chuckle as she started to leave Yang behind as she walked towards their destination.

'I will leave that honor to Mr. Knight's fangirls. There's enough competition that even with _my_ help you wouldn't get out of that mess unscathed.

'Hey! I take offence to that – what about my ass?'

Yang gave chase after the quietly chuckling Weiss and she had to admit, she did feel lighter than before after having that chat with Weiss. Even if she hadn't really said the truth.

..

Pyrrha would have liked to know exactly what Yang had shared with Weiss but seeing how fast Ruby had pulled her away, she had given up on that idea. The members of RWBY had left after they had restocked their armaments for tomorrow's trip while Pyrrha had went off to search with her team who were training in one of the training fields that Beacon had set aside for them. Beacon was an academy who focuses on combat training after all and they were very generous with their funding to certain areas of the academy due to that.

For example, the armory had made Ruby drool with delight at how she could continue her work with the upgrades for Crescent Rose. They were also generous with how they dispense dust for the students use as they experimented and tinkered with their weapons.

Pyrrha had taken advantage of their hospitality by designing and making more ammo pouches for her weapon and she could tell that even Weiss was making full use of the facilities as she was experimenting with different amounts and types of dust herself.

'This is getting ridiculous.'

Pyrrha muttered to herself as she stared at the group of fangirls and boys, yes, boys, that were gathered around their training spot in Beacon. She was being separated from her team by a real wall of flesh and she was not amused

The place that team SNPR trained in was prone to change every few days due to this exact scenario. Only it had gotten worse, as she noticed that there were more than just Faunus that were gathered looking on as her team trained. The crowd were mostly girls, with a few Faunus boys that Pyrrha recognized as those who begged Shirou to train them.

It wasn't the first time that this had happened, she might have understated how popular Shirou had been after it became known that he was standing up for the Faunus. All the Faunus students had gravitated to him, the girls even more so, much to Velvet's dismay and frustration, and he was perhaps the most influential and recognizable student in the first year due to that.

Pyrrha knew the situation would have gotten worse due to how Shirou couldn't say no when the others asked for tips on how they could get stronger. He had only gotten more admiration when it became apparent that Shirou didn't use his aura at all.

As the one who unlocked Shirou's aura, Pyrrha felt conflicted about that. Shirou had an overwhelmingly powerful aura that she could sort of sense when he used it unconsciously when he first unlocked it. But Shirou seemed to have found a way to turn it off, or maybe had just so good control with it that he was able to use it without her knowing about it.

Case in point – Aura is supposed to be used to heal wounds and generally make people stronger and tougher. Shirou was just that, he heals ridiculously fast and he is stronger and tougher as any normal human who is using his aura in overdrive.

But it might be due to his brutal training regime, which gave him a terrific body. Pyrrha would definitely hit that, and that didn't hurt his popularity either seeing majority of the crowd were girls looking at the scene with somewhat dreamy expressions.

..

'Yes, this is getting ridiculous.'

They were in a school training to be deadly killers against a force of nature that would kill them in a heartbeat and these girls had the time to stare and gawk at other the member of their sex like this instead of training?

It's official, Pyrrha was a workaholic.

Dry inner retort aside, Pyrrha pushed her way through the crowd while giving anyone who glared at her a glare back. This was her team and she'd be damned if she was going to let anyone interfere with their training.

Especially if Shirou was too big of a softie to get them to go away.

'Alright break it up, break it up. Show's over.'

Pyrrha called out above the protests of the crowd and that garnered Shirou's attention as he looked and waved at Pyrrha. Shirou was apparently working out with Nora, the energetic girl had been following Shirou's routine and physical workout ever since she saw him doing so.

The energizer bunny that was Nora could keep up with Shirou fairly well all things considered and had gotten stronger and faster when Shirou adjusted her routine to focus on the areas that would serve her better.

Nowadays it wasn't that uncommon to see the two of them training together in the wee hours of dawn or dusk together.

Velvet and Ren were resting in the shaded areas around the training site however, and Pyrrha wondered if the two of them had joined them in their physical conditioning earlier on. In her opinion, the two of them were horribly out of shape for being huntsmen or huntresses but then again, Shirou had said that physical conditioning like hers was rare. She had been embarrassed when Shirou had said that though.

'Ah you're here, Pyrrha. We were just warmed up. Glad you could join us.'

Pyrrha really doubted that, the warm up that she knew Shirou could get would be equal to a full workout for others. Not for her, but it was certainly intense enough to make Ren collapse half way through it the first time he had worked them through his pace. Still she gave Shirou a smile before frowning at the crowd who threatened to surge towards Shirou, scratch that, they surged towards Shirou now that they were certain Shirou could see them. Either they thought that they were somehow managing to stay hidden while being such a huge mob standing in the middle of nowhere or Shirou was _really really_ good at pretending they did not exists.

Hmm, perhaps that's how Shirou could deal with it, if he didn't see it, it didn't happen. It wasn't the best policy around, but it could be effective in the short term and would buy some time till he actually found a solution to the problem.

It was pure genius, why didn't she think of that?!

Or maybe Shirou was just that dense, but Pyrrha wouldn't buy that as the truth, no one would.

'Shirou! Could you train with us!' 'Train with me too!' 'No, me!' 'Go out with me, Shirou!'

The squeals and cries from the crowd made Pyrrha just run a hand down her face. They really did sound like a pack of rabid fan girls and she highly doubted that they wanted real 'training'. No Pyrrha, bad thoughts, bad thoughts.

At least Shirou looked stern when the group of fangirls and boys (Pyrrha was really disturbed at that) started converging around him. Shirou really was trying to ignore them in the hopes that they would just disappear, didn't he?

'… I'm sorry, but we are in the middle of a training session right now and I have to respectfully ask all of you to leave and give our team some privacy.'

Shirou explained with a stern look on his face that Pyrrha recognized as the same one that he had on when he put them through the drills that would Ren really detested. It was the look of a teacher and not as a fellow student and was one of the few things that made Shirou that much more mysterious than he was. Seriously, she doubted that Shirou even needed to be enrolled in Beacon at all. Was he a ringer of some sort?

'But then why can _she_ stay?'

One of them asked when they pointed at Velvet, as she caught her breath in the shade.

..

'As Velvet has genuine interest in learning how to better control her powers. None of you have shown the same desire if you have the time to stand there and watch us train.'

Shirou replied bluntly while the crowd fell silent.

'Now if you would excuse us, we have some workouts and simulations to do. If you do wish to make a real change in your life, why not start with your own teams?'

Shirou asked quietly as Pyrrha joined him with a wry smile on her face. Pyrrha swore that the man was better as a motivational speaker than a knight or a warrior.

'You would have made your first step in changing things around you if you did that.'


	12. Chapter 11

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 11_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: Right, filler chapter is, filler I suppose? But that happens, I've hit a small writer's block, finally, but Catherine will get me through it.**

**At any rate, I've gotten a few comments on chapter 1 - I'll do an amendment this few days to work on that. Thank you for the feedback.**

**In any case - to make this clear - Thank you, Nephirim, XoreandoX, bowpurity for the beta for this chapter.**

**As for the bombshell of the chapter - we'll cover that in the notes next chapter? Enjoy Chapter 11~**

* * *

_BowP: Hmm… Nothing to say._

* * *

**XoreandoX: Well I would like to say that hopefully this chapter has revealed who Shirou really is, but in reality this is still only the tip of the iceberg, further surprises still lay in wait, so look forward to that. As for Nora's little trip, there is a very simple explanation as to how she got there, and I'm curious to see in the reviews or in any PMs to wrathie, whether anyone else can figure it out too. So without further ado, enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

Nora Valkyrie was in many ways a misunderstood child much like Lie Ren was. However unlike the lazy genius who was also her childhood friend, Lie Ren, Nora could never relate to others in the same way that Ren could as she was just _different_.

Everyone tried to figure out what was wrong with her when there was nothing wrong with how she was. However, the statement remains, Nora was just, different, that's all.

Despite being the most cheerful, energetic, chatty and optimistic girl ever to those who knew her, no one really understood why and how she would _never_ run out of energy and optimism. Some might even call her a fool for there was just no way one could, and would be so optimistic and trustworthy as Nora. Even Ren, at times, felt that Nora was more than a naïve and innocent with her ability to see the best out of anyone and would never doubt them. It had fallen on him to get Nora out of trouble and the many times that he did so still left him a little baffled.

Emiya Shirou would be the first person to call Nora out as being distorted, someone whose view on the world was radically different than the rest.

Her aura and semblance alone could be classified as being impossible but even her body was odd. Nora could _never_ tire, she had unnaturally high stamina levels that did not add up to how her metabolism rate were

Basically Nora had too little of an appetite to truly justify how much energy she had and it was not just Shirou who had noticed it, Ren had found out about that years ago.

One theory Ren had was that Nora ate a lot more snacks and treats to keep her energy levels up, but his childhood friend would bounce off walls even more if she ate anything sugary and so that theory went out the window.

It started when Shirou had asked Nora on how she could have that much energy that allowed led Shirou to know what had happened to Nora. It was an incident that even Ren wasn't aware of as it was insignificant even in Nora's eyes.

To others though, it was something that _no one_ should forget. For Nora Valkyrie died that day, the day before she came up with the blueprints for Magnhild.

* * *

**-Flashback-**

_'Interesting, so you__never get tired at all, Nora?'_

_Shirou asked patiently as the younger looking girl grinned while puffing her chest out proudly like a child._

_'I never get tired! You can ask Ren! If I could, I'll train all day and do what I want all day, but I can't because I have to let the others rest.'_

_Shirou simply nodded to Nora while wondering how anyone could not need sleep. Sleep was necessary to recharge one's prana levels and it did serve a purpose for reinvigorating one's energy and body for what it had gone through in the day. Shirou wasn't an expert, but at the least he knew that everyone needed sleep._

_'Perhaps you simply did not train hard enough... well, let's see if you can keep up with my work out, Nora.'_

_Shirou decided to conduct an experiment while chuckling. It had been a while since he could go all out in his training regimen without being afraid of tiring his partner out. That was, if Nora could keep up with him like she said she could._

..

_'Hah.. so you were able to keep up.'_

_Shirou gave a tired smile at the bundle of energy that was Nora. She did keep up and was still bursting with energy while doing cooling down exercise along with him. He had wanted to go slow for the benefit of the poor girl, but it had been him who had been surprised, as Nora did not even break a sweat even as they did their laps around the training ground. Nor had she even seemed winded when they did some light contact sparring before starting to swing their weapons in different stances to build up muscle memory._

_Magnhild wasn't exactly light, but the way Nora wielded and used that weapon certainly suggested that it was. Even Shirou had some difficulty using it in the way that Nora did; swinging it over her head like it was nothing. Nora had been able to swing her weapon in a particular stance for two hundred repetitions without even breaking a sweat and would have gone on longer if not for Shirou calling a break to speak to Nora about her freakish strength._

_He subsequently discovered that Magnhild was even more special than he had imagined. The hammer __**chose**__ it's wielder. It was a function that was built into Magnhild and required channelling one's aura into the weapon before one could use it._

_Shirou's aura was apparently acceptable for him to at least carry it but others like Ren and Pyrrha couldn't even get to lift it. It was a running joke between Nora and Ren that Magnhild was a picky child but there was nothing funny about it._

_Magnhild came close to a sentient weapon as it was able to choose, because there was no way that Nora could come up with a way to allow the weapon to react to different auras like it could now. Especially since the only function that was built in was to sense auras and not to differentiate auras._

_Magnhild's design was also built and finalized years ago, no new additions were made to it and for a child to create this weapon from scratch was just amazing. Shirou was convinced that it was truly a replica or a at least modeled after a form of a weapon from another age._

_The question was why Nora was granted the vision to build it? Was she affected by the Counter Force to be given such a weapon at her age for her to use?_

_Shirou was not certain and he was leery of getting involved. However he might have already been involved the moment he decided to enroll in Beacon._

_'Of course I could! I told you that I could! Are we going to do more of that?'_

_Shirou looked to the side to see Ren resting while Pyrrha was practising her throwing by herself. He did not agree with how Ren was unwilling to push himself but he had been more than capable and did the bare minimum to keep himself in shape. Shirou would like him to push himself more, but he wasn't about to go hard on someone who had his eye on him._

_Yes, Shirou knew that Ren suspected that he was more than what he appeared to be and was quietly observing him to figure him out. It was also sad to note that Shirou could not blame Ren for doing so and he noted with some amusement that he had been a little more obvious today than he was used to. In a way the two of them reminded him of his time with Sakura when he was younger._

_'No, we won't, you should let your muscles rest in order to not overwork them. We've done enough for today.'_

_Shirou replied patiently while Nora just pouted and said that she wasn't tired, again._

_'I know, Nora, but even if you aren't – I am a little. And training for the whole day would only be boring right? Besides, we have assignments to do.'_

_Shirou placated Nora who seemed to accept the reasoning as she jumped to her feet and then to pull him up._

_'Okay! We'll do homework and then we'll have a party!'_

_That would be the third party of the week, and as Nora's idea of parties was just her sitting with her friends and chatting about everything under the sun, Shirou had no problems with letting Ren deal with Nora. He was the only one who was able to keep up with her and it made sense seeing that the two of them had been close since they were young. Hmm, maybe Ren could shed a light on why or when he noticed that Nora never tired – at all. That really wasn't natural at all!_

_'So... when did you notice when you couldn't get tired, Nora?'_

_Shirou asked casually as the two of them walked over to their other team mates. _

_Shirou was just making some casual conversation as he had noticed that Velvet was trying her best to hide herself from his sight. The faunus girl had such an obvious crush that he found it a little embarrassing – then again, he made a vow not to embarrass the girl while at the same time not to reciprocate her gestures as well. The last thing he needed was to have her following him into danger, which was more than likely seeing how Velvet was borderline stalking him now._

_'Mmm... that time when Nora fell down a well! It was painful at the start, but then it started getting better!'_

_Shirou wondered if he heard that wrong, but looking at the pained look on Pyrrha's face, he didn't._

_'Ow... that must have hurt. You must have unlocked your aura then, Nora. Aura can be used to heal wounds, Shirou.'_

_Pyrrha explained for his benefit and Shirou nodded his head in understanding. So aura could heal. Perhaps he had a secondary healing method after all. But most importantly however, Shirou noticed how Ren perked to attention and looked pained at hearing that. Did he not know about that particular incident?_

_'Mm... did I unlock my aura then? Maybe... I can't remember. I fell down the well and the next thing I saw was a bright light, like I was walking up stairs!'_

_All of them were looking at Nora now and he urged her to go on with her story which Nora obliged with a grin._

_'So I kept walking up those stairs, everything got whiter and whiter until I saw something at the top... Hmm.. how do I describe that.'_

_Nora pursed her lips, rubbing her chin in confusion before she snapped her fingers._

_'Ahh, it's like seeing __**everything **__and __**nothing **__at the same time__**!'**_

_That didn't even make sense and he wasn't the only person who was confused as Pyrrha had a confused expression on her face. Ren however simply gave a small snort of acknowledgement as he was used to it._

_'I wanted to get closer, the place is really pretty when a woman shouted at me to go away. She was wearing a red cloak and I couldn't see her face at all! But I think I know her, I think... it's odd.'_

_'That's... quite a dream, Nora. Did that happen after you fell down the well?'_

_Shirou was beginning to believe that Nora was making things up or was at least dreaming, this was a bit more far-fetched than Nora's other stories had gone at any rate._

_'Mm! It happened after that! That woman started firing lasers at me! Those lasers... they were fired from her fingers.'_

_It sounded more like a dream now and Shirou wondered why Nora was telling them her dream. It must be a vivid dream though for her to remember so much about it._

_'So I had to run back down the stairs to not get hit by the lasers! That woman shouted my name, so I knew it had to be a dream as I didn't tell her! Oh, I knew how to make Magnhild after looking at that... thing... It was all red... I can't describe it.'_

_Nora fell silent as she contemplated the question again and she smiled cheerfully when she remembered what that thing was called as the woman had shouted it's name while chasing her._

_'Akasha! Yeah, the woman called it Akasha! I got Magnhild from Akasha!'_

_Emiya Shirou did trip and fall after hearing that. Did... no, it just couldn't – could she?_

**_-End Flash Back-_**

* * *

That revelation by Shirou came around a week after he worked with his team and it disturbed him to no end. Had Nora really seen the Akashic Records? That was something that magus of his world would kill to find out and although she had been only able to get the blueprints of Magnhild, that did not mean that it was a foregone conclusion that was _all_ Nora had seen.

Still, that was a thought for another time and perhaps it's best that regardless of whether Nora was telling the truth, or whether she _did_ see the Akashic Records, no one should knew about it. The mage association, if they were here, would do everything in their power to know how Nora arrived at the Root in the first place. Shirou knew the mage association and even if it did not exist here, the mere thought of what they would do to the cheerful girl sickened him.

His other teammates however were in the dark as to why Shirou was so concerned for what happened to Nora and what she saw, they were however rightly concerned over the revelation that Nora almost died when she fell into the well.

Shirou was interested in knowing what exactly happened that day when Nora had been able to see Akasha and unfortunately for him, nothing was really explained in Nora's account of what exactly happened. Ren was kept out of the loop as to what had happened that day. His team mates didn't know why that was important but it honestly was.

No one knows how to get to the Akashic Records, it was one of the greatest mysteries of past or modern magecraft, and somehow Nora did so. Unlike most magus, Shirou wasn't interested in knowing how to get there and was more interested in stopping people from getting there in the first place.

He wasn't sure whether the Counter Force, or Alaya was even present here, not that he could _check_ but he wanted to cover his bases anyway. Knowing how Nora accidentally reached the Root would be a good basis to figuring out how to stop people from doing the same, and knowing if it was just a one off accident or it was part of her powers.

If Nora could travel to the Records at will, Shirou might... have to take drastic measures to ensure that she would never visit there again, or god forbid, bring someone with her.

Before more details on how, why and when it happened were revealed, Ren hugged Nora so tightly that Nora was left speechless. Ren, the one who never initiated anything of his own accord, much less physical contact, hugged Nora while repeatedly apologizing to her. Ren had a good reason to do so as he had _no _idea Nora almost died that fateful day and he was her closest friend.

He didn't know, no one could blame him for not knowing as Nora had not viewed the event as something worth mentioning.

That was when Shirou called Nora distorted, and he had good grounds to call Nora as such.

Something had fundamentally changed before or after Nora's meeting with Alaya and Akasha, it was both a mental and a physical change as when SNPR brought Nora to have a CT scan of her brain, it revealed that there was some damage to Nora's brain that could be a result of the fall. Specially the portion that dealt with emotions and her intuitive functions. This made it more difficult for her to understand and relate to others, both emotionally and through words. She was easily misunderstood, and she easily misunderstood others. It did not help that Shirou believed that her mindscape and perspective of the world had changed after viewing Akasha, it wasn't a stretch to say that no one would understand what Nora was saying if she had viewed the answer to everything and anything. Apparently the answer to life, the universe and everything according to Nora was 42. As to why, she couldn't say.

Ren was inconsolable that night. After apologizing to Nora, he had stuck closer to Nora than he had ever been before. Shirou and Pyrrha could not blame him, but Nora did not understand and was frankly baffled but happy that Ren was being so nice and close to her.

Shirou could relate – Ren felt that he had failed his friend and when Shirou explained what he meant when he called Nora distorted, Ren got even more agitated.

..

What it meant to be distorted was to have a worldview that was so different from the average person that they would never truly understand how others thought. It was to live through one's life through rose tinted glasses, having one's perspective so skewed and so different that whatever they do would most likely be different than what a 'normal' person would do and they would still think that it was normal.

It was something so rare, so fundamentally different in one's psychological thoughts that no one truly understood why that was the case. It was usually formed through external influence usually some life-changing trauma, but once it was formed, developed and established – nothing could change it. No amount of psychological help could reverse or change it's effects easily. The study on what Shirou called distortion was also hampered by how it was never diagnosed or recognized as an illness properly, neither was it treated as one and the condition could even be easily dismissed by scientists as being nothing more than being another form of PTSD or survivor's guilt. To scientists, it was just a condition that needs to be medicated or corrected with therapy.

The worst part of being distorted was how there was simply no easy way to change someone who was distorted, at least none that Shirou knew of that would work. All Shirou could do was to help Nora make the most out of her situation and guide her to live with the world in general even while having her own perspective about it. God only knows what Nora had going through her mind, but Shirou promised Ren that he would help her figure out what it was that made Nora tick.

Ren confessed to Shirou that he was extremely guilty and sorry about not even noticing Nora being in this way. The team leader of SNPR had simply replied that it just wasn't natural, but that did not mean that it was Ren's fault for not noticing or even realizing something was wrong and different about Nora.

..

_'I guess I know how she felt when she discovered that about me too.'_

..

Shirou's explained that he too was also distorted, and not knowing it until a dear friend of his had pointed out that what he was doing and what he believed in was not normal, but instead of trying to fix him, she helped him through it. It was always going to be making the best out of the situation though and never a true cure as people just _don't_ get distorted easily.

The team wanted to help their friend, their comrade and the bundle of endless cheerful energy that was Nora. To know that something terrible had happened to her was another punch in the gut for Pyrrha as well and the redhead found herself more accepting and patient with Nora when she went on one of her spiels.

To Shirou though, the situation was getting more and more ridiculous for him and internally he wondered whether he had E-Rank luck at this point. So one of his team mates was distorted, what was the chances of this happening to him? It was as if the gods were sending him a message, but truly the only reason he found out was after probing deeper into how Nora was able to design Magnhild. It was due to her distortion and Shirou wondered how Nora viewed the world. Was she obsessed with one single thing like he was? Did she not feel any emotion like how he was like before?

At least Shirou figured out how Nora was distorted. What's next, Shirou didn't know but he was going to help Nora. The cheerful girl deserved better and with Ren as his ally, she should be able to function normally in the future.

But the Akashic Records? Seriously? That's a little overboard, right?

* * *

'I'm not sure whether I should hit you or praise you for what you did just now.'

Pyrrha Nikos gave their leader, Emiya Shirou a glare as she finished her warm ups. After getting the crowd of students to disperse and relocating to another location, she had started while Shirou and Nora had started some light sparring. The two of them had really bonded after finding out what had happened to Nora when she was young.

Pyrrha really felt for Ren, her teammate had been increasingly clingy at the start and had beat himself up more than once after knowing what had happened to her friend. Pyrrha even caught Ren sitting beside a sleeping Nora to try and offer some comfort to her.

The sad thing was that according to Shirou, Nora didn't need that comfort and Ren had nothing to apologize about. Nora certainly didn't need an apology– or at least did not think it was necessary for Ren to start apologizing for it because it had happened so many years back.

Pyrrha would love to do something for the two of them but when the affected parties didn't know what they could do for each other, it was difficult for her to help out as well. Hence she just tried her best to maintain the normalcy that all of them had gotten used to. Ren had at least reverted back to how he had been like with Nora after a week of clinging close to her. It had taken Nora asking Ren what's wrong for him to back off, finally coming to terms that his actions might just made Nora worried about _him_ instead. This was the first case ever that Pyrrha had where a girl didn't want concern from a boy that she obviously liked. Wait, could 'distorted' people like Nora ever like someone, much less feel love? That was something that she had to ask Shirou about later.

But right now, the present was more important.

'I was just stating the truth.'

Shirou replied calmly while working through forms with Nora as they waited for Pyrrha to finish. Ren was stretching together with Velvet, the Faunus girl still having starry eyes at their leader that made Pyrrha roll her eyes. Shirou was right though, Velvet was doing her best to catch up with the rest of the class by training hard.

'Well at least we know you aren't perfect.'

'No one is perfect, everyone has their flaws.'

'Well you certainly came close to that for the faunus in Beacon. I'm surprised it took so long for your fanclub to grow, Mr. Knight.'

Pyrrha teased him good-naturedly while Shirou scowled unhappily.

'It's not that I am encouraging them to do so... I can't force them to stop.'

Shirou protested as he watched Nora try out her new stance with an appraising look and he replied after checking Nora's stance again.

'I never thought that would happen, I just thought it was unfair.'

'And you acted on it, that's why you were labelled a Knight, Shirou, you're really too nice to everyone. At least you are nice to guys too or the guys in class would start hating you too.'

Pyrrha chuckled as she finished her warm up, getting up and winking at Shirou who looked comfortable.

'That's a stupid nickname... at least they didn't call me a hero.'

'If you start saving people, they might just use that. And knowing you, you would,'

Pyrrha looked at him sternly and Shirou could only smile sheepishly while scratching his head at having his partner peg him so well. He did get along very well with Pyrrha and truth to be told, Pyrrha felt that no one else would be more suited to be her partner in all of Beacon. The boy was stronger than the average guy of their age, shared the same drive and determination to train to be better and most importantly, wasn't stuck up and fond of showing his strength like the other guys. Pyrrha even joked that Shirou might be a little more feminine than she was, a fact that Shirou refuted with a red face.

'Well, there's nothing wrong with helping people, Pyrrha.'

'No there isn't, but it is when you don't accept their thanks and treat it like nothing. It's not wrong for them to look up to you as a hero as well.'

Pyrrha grinned again and this time she left Shirou speechless. It was funny to see his confused expression and Pyrrha couldn't help but giggle a little as Shirou recovered himself.

'That's not true.. It's not wrong for me to treat it like nothing, and it's wrong for them to look up to me.''

'Oh it is true, Shirou. Trust me. You're too good to them, being too kind has it's own problems too you know? Guess you didn't.'

Pyrrha placed both hands on her hips as she watched Shirou scratch his head in confusion before sighing. He did look kinda cute when he's lost like that though.

'Helping people is a part of who I am and it is something I believe in fully without question; but I've seen what happens to those that try to follow it without that same resolve. What happened to him isn't something I want to see again.'

There Shirou goes again, with his adorable pout and slumped shoulders. It was enough for Pyrrha to want to hug him, only she knew it would only make it worse and the redhead decided to just nip it in the bud.

'No one told you about that before? Jesus... you're really thick huh? Or I guess your friends from before just took advantage of you... or maybe you let them do it.'

Pyrrha crossed her arms while walking towards Shirou. She noted out of the corner of her eye that Ren had called Nora over, and that was why there wasn't any interruptions so far. Velvet didn't seem too anger about the two of them talking as well, much to her relief. If she got jealous, it'll be messy.

'I just, wanted to help.'

Shirou repeated lamely and Pyrrha gave a long suffering sigh while explaining, again.

'I said it before too, there's _nothing_ wrong with that. Really! But you have to help in the right way too. I mean, if you really want to help, it's good, we're happy you do that. But you have to let them thank you, or they'll either take advantage, or start to worship you a little. And I know you hate that.'

Pyrrha poked Shirou's chest once as she continued.

'What's the saying again – "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." You have to teach them the right things too, and not to rely on you to fix everything, Mr. Knight. Or should I call you Hero now?'

Pyrrha grinned before getting Velvet to come closer so they could train together. She didn't notice how Shirou's shoulders slumped even more before he chuckled lightly to himself while scratching his head.

'… No one ever told me that before.'

Shirou muttered to himself as he looked at Pyrrha, an odd girl with such an uncommon dream, and then at Nora, distorted like he was and finally, Ren – who could do so much but choose not to do so because he did not have the drive.

The three of them could be great, they had the potential, but... should he even help them achieve that? What if they didn't want to, like Ren?

Emiya Shirou clenched his fist and shook his head before mumbling.

'What should I do…...Rin, Saber?'


	13. Chapter 12

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 12_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

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**Author's Notes: Oh - thank you for your support so far! Really appreciate your patience with me while I go through the development of the characters in my story.**

**In any case - I noticed that I did not add the part of whether Pyrrha &amp; Ren asked about Shirou's distortion - and no one actually called me out on that. It'll get covered in time, I promise. In other news - I am honored to be given the chance to be featured in the Fic: 'Weiss Reacts" - by ElfCollaborator.**

**It's a great fic, I always laugh when I read it. Well then, enjoy chapter 12 of Pieces out of Line - and I'm also tickled pink by the addition that one of my betas - bowpurity, wrote below.**

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_BowP: Low tier. Why do they even exist? Low tier. Are you not terrible? Low tier… Is it not hard to win games? I hail you, low tier. I hail you, Dan in SF, I hail you, Nissan R33 in Wangan, I hail you, BigBang in Skullgirls. Is it bitter, when you lose? Perhaps… but, is not victory sweet, when you win? Is it not sweet, to KO with a dance? When you actually outspeed an evo 9 with a r33 at the last corner, when you play the 5 ultra trumpet combo?_  
_Here's an ode to you, low tier. Here's an ode to you._

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**Nephirin: No comment.**

* * *

_XoreandoX: Well, there isn't much to say except that this one covers a bit more on how the Team RWBY and Team SNPR have developed their own tactics since they've fought Grimm together during their initiation. On another note; assuming mine are read, how many of you might be interested in an info dump chapter, that chapter might not be for a little while and that chapter would be about the background of thr RWBY world and how it is what it is today. Or would you guys prefer we continue doing a slow reveal of the world as it becomes needed. It's just something has come up in my head after seeing a reviews and comments from Nephirin, feel free to let us know through reviews or from PMs. So without further delay, enjoy the chapter._

* * *

'Are you truly fine?'

Weiss asked in concern as the two of them left the dormitory together while Yang just scowled unhappily back at her partner. She had the same lecture from her younger sister early in the morning about whether she could be in the same team together with SNPR. It was odd having her younger sister try to cheer her up, but she did not need cheering up despite what the others might think.

All of them had the wrong idea of what happened the night before and the way they tried to comfort her in their room was getting to her nerves. She was embarrassed or unable to face Shirou again, she knew that Shirou would have no problems working like her. She herself was dying to work with him again too and to test what had been confirmed that fateful night.

Oh she's really looking forward to being on the same team as Shirou again. The reason that she had been so put out was because she needed to improve her own ability, she had wanted to train by herself but after expending all of her dust cartridges, Yang needed to stock up on more before she could kick it up to a higher gear.

She had been complacent in her strength, never pushing herself – but now that's going to change. After their trip to Forever Fall, she was going to kick her butt into gear and drag Weiss along for the ride.

'No sweat, Weiss, I'm alright now. Looking forward to the trip really, and after that, we got some training to do.'

Yang grinned in reply, causing Weiss to frown before nodding her head.

'That's reasonable enough, however I do want to work on some combinations that I discovered in the library. With your semblance I think we can recreate the sam-'

'Oh no no, not that kind of training. We're getting physical.'

Weiss just looked as though Yang was crazy, Ruby tripped and she fell on the floor while Blake turned red.

' What?'

'You said... we are getting physical.'

'Yeah? Ohhh... perverts.'

Yang gave a fake gasp while Weiss rubbed her forehead in exasperation. Yang knew that she was the _last_ person to be allowed to say that but she still had to say it.

'I blame this on you, Yang. Could you please try and be less suggestive with your words.'

'Hey, hey, I am _not!'_

Yang replied proudly while crossing her arms but she lost most of her credentials when all of her team mates raised an eyebrow at her sceptically. It was a lost battle, and Yang huffed in defeat.

'Alright fine, so I have sometimes, been a little suggestive.'

Yang heard Blake mutter: 'A _little?' _but she let it slide, they did not know how bad she could be if she put her mind to it.

'But I mean it, we're going back to the basics and doing some physical training today. That alright, Ruby?'

Ruby looked conflicted but after some consideration, she nodded her head.

'Okay, I think we should do that to see where our fitness level lies. At Signal it's a requirement for all of us to have our physical fitness checked and measured every month. Beacon might not have that requirement, but its best to maintain our fitness levels by ourselves. Working out together is always fun too.'

Ruby smiled as she looked at her team and seeing how Blake agreed, Weiss groaned and nodded her head as well. Weiss had never been the most adept in physical activity and only did the bare minimum to pass the requirements. Knowing Yang, who had more brawn than brain, she was going to have a tough time.

'Great, we'll take some time to see where we all are. The gym has all the stuff we need to measure our strength, stamina and the rest. I'll help.'

Yang winked at her team while Ruby explained that Yang was very serious about physical training.

'She was the strongest in her class, even stronger than the boys.'

Ruby was proud of her sister for her feats – it was always fun to see the many ways she would beat them down when they challenged her to restore their masculine pride.

'She helped me plan my training schedule too!'

'Aww, you're flattering me, sis! But strength goes both ways, physical strength and mental strength! You must have BOTH!'

Yang raised her voice at the last word and it made everyone else who were walking in the same corridor stare at her.

Yang, being Yang, simply did not care while Weiss ran a hand down her face in exasperation. Ruby was no help here for she had agreed, crossing her hands and looking generally very proud of her sister. It was Blake who took action as she pulled the whole group by their shoulders and pulled them along while mumbling about crazy sisters and heiresses under her breath.

* * *

The class's excursion to Forever Fall was to collect sap for Professor Peach's research. Forever Fall was a beautiful place where the season was always Fall, hence the name. Ruby in particular loved the place, same with Pyrrha; it must be their hair color. Blake however, had looked a little depressed and withdrawn, it was something that her partner Ruby noticed.

Ruby slid over to stand beside Blake as she smiled at her, Blake started a little before she blushed and nodded her head. However despite Ruby's attempt to get her to speak, she wasn't talking and it seemed that Ruby had to take the first step to get her to talk.

'Are you okay, Blake?'

As she expected, Blake hesitated before smiling back. Ruby knew Blake was smart and could read people very well, she was the unofficial peacemaker of team RWBY, even more so than her. It sometimes pained Ruby to know that couldn't do as much for her team as her other teammates could, but they accepted her despite that - and in return Ruby knew she had to step in to help her team mates when the needed help. Like now, with Blake, even if she might reject her help, but she still had to try.

'Blake? You don't look fine. Is there something wrong? Did something happen here?'

Ruby asked patiently and was insistent in not letting Blake avoid the issue as she had one arm around Blake's arm and had pulled her away from the group. Team SNPR and Team RWBY were bunched together as per the norm, Ruby was relieved to see Shirou and Yang still on cordial terms – Yang even had an arm around Shirou as they talked with each other.

Team SNPR was looking quite confused at how that happened, the same with the rest of her team but Ruby had to contend with Blake's problem now, not Yang's.

'No.. Not here, per se... Thank you for asking, Ruby but... it's really nothing, I'm fine.'

'No you are not. I, we're friends right? So I know you...'

Ruby tried hard to sound confident and she seemed to have succeeded when Blake started before smiling a little sadly.

'… Yes, we're friends.'

That did not sound too promising, Ruby even felt that Blake was trying to convince herself that and she had to stop her, right now.

'Yes, we are friends.'

Ruby stressed while reaching to hold Blake's hands. The raven-haired girl blinked but didn't resist as Ruby squeezed them slightly.

'And because we _are_ friends that I want to help. You're not comfortable here, Blake, and I want to know if there is anything I can do to help? I can listen to you talk about it? Or maybe... maybe you could just rest in a corner while we he-'

Ruby started giving suggestions and the red head's eyes widened when Blake suddenly stopped her by pressing a finger against her lips. Ruby blushed as Blake shook her head. That was certainly unexpected.

'No... I'm... Okay, so I'm not fine... I, I don't... It's not that I don't like Fall. It's that... these places, with all the colors... reminds me of...'

Blake paused and if she thought that stopping would help get Ruby off her tail, she was sorely mistaken. Or perhaps Blake just wanted some time to gather her thoughts about the matter.

'Reminds you of? Something? Did... something happen? If you do-, no, do you want to talk about it? No... please, talk about it... Please, Blake. I want to help.'

Ruby had to correct herself a few times, internally wondering why she was so tongue tied when it mattered the most.

'… it's... it's from my past... okay?'

Blake blushed as she stated the obvious but she soldiered on nonetheless as the two of them followed the larger group that was splitting up to collect the sap.

'A-And... it was at a place like this, with all the maple leaves... red leaves.. and all, I'm bad with botany... but it was like this... it was during Fall... where, I had to leave my closest friend behind.'

Ruby did not know how to react to that. Forever Fall reminded Blake of a time where she had to leave a friend behind? That made sense, but she did not know how to help her friend, but she was going to try anyway.

'I see... would you like to talk more? Like.. why you had to leave her behind?'

Blake smiled mirthlessly as Ruby assumed the person was a girl, but if this was Yang, she'd be all over that fact alone. So she let it slide for she really didn't want Ruby to know what relationship she had with _him_ now. It was in the past, a past that made her who she was today, but a past that she did not like.

'It's... complicated, but, I had to leave then and there... if I didn't, I'd have regretted it even more.'

The two girls fell silent for a while, Blake wondering whether she should have told Ruby that while Ruby wondered what she would have felt if she had to leave Yang behind and so Ruby asked.

'You... said you had a choice, right? To... leave your friend. Did you have a choice when you... left?'

Ruby's question made Blake pause and after a few painful seconds, Blake nodded her head.

'I did... I always did have a choice whether to stay... or to leave. And I decided that in a place similar to this.'

'… Would you have made the same choice now?'

Blake blinked and after a brief moment, Blake shrugged, perhaps a little desperately while Ruby waited and then spoke.

'… I, can't say that I understand... if I said that, I'd be lying. So... I'll be honest, Blake.'

Ruby paused for a moment to make sure that Blake was listening and when her yellow eyes met hers, Ruby continued.

'If I had to make a choice today, to leave Yang behind. I'll have thought about it, and I would have never done it if I didn't feel it was right. To leave... someone important to you, isn't easy. It... should never be easy, so... you wouldn't have done that if you didn't know it was right.'

Ruby paused and squeezed Blake's hands tighter again as she pulled her forward, encouraging her to catch up with the rest of the group that was waiting for them. It was convenient too as she didn't want Blake to question her words, she wanted Blake to hear it and not think or dwell too much about it if she could.

'So, even if I might not know why you are so upset about it, I do hope that you are not asking whether you made the right choice. Because, you did.'

Ruby finished and Blake let loose a breath that she didn't realize she was holding. And there Blake had thought that Ruby would have tried to relate with her, to tell her what she would have done. Instead, she simply reminded her that it was _her_ decision to leave in the first place.

'… But what if I have regrets, Ruby? What if... I didn't want to leave?'

'But you did leave. And... everyone has regrets.'

Ruby's answer was almost instantaneous and Blake blinked as Ruby smiled wordlessly back before speaking again.

'That's why there's a word for regrets. Everyone has them, and we will look back at them. But... that's what makes us who we are. You're here because you made that decision, and it's fine if you regret it, but you shouldn't wish to take it back. If you did, you're saying that, whoever you are now, is your regret instead.'

Ruby scratched her head as she wondered if she phrased it correctly, but even if she didn't, Blake was giggling now at her words and that was what she wanted to do. Everyone has regrets, but to get too caught up in it was a bad thing.

That's what Ruby sincerely believed – as regrets only made one stronger.

* * *

'You shouldn't drink the sap, Nora.'

Ren chided Nora as she started sipping and tasting the sap that they had gathered. The trees were odd here, overflowing with sap the moment they cut through the bark. That was certainly odd, perhaps that was why the Grimms gathered and lived here.

Ren had forced himself to pay more attention to Nora after Shirou's damning diagnosis of Nora's mental state. Even if Shirou was _not_ a psychologist, Ren still trusted him because he had been the one who had determined first that Nora did have something wrong with her. When Shirou told his team that Nora's energetic and optimistic nature was a precursor to her being a threat to herself and things around her, Ren did not believe him.

That held firm till it became clear that there _was_ something wrong with Nora physically and mentally. When Shirou explained exactly how Nora would be a threat to herself, Ren just broke down.

It pained him as her friend to know that he didn't know, that he never suspected but how could he? Ren had known Nora to be the same hyperactive girl since young and after reading through as many books about brain damage that he could get his hands on, Ren had to admit that Shirou had the best approach for her. The other approach that would help with Nora's situation would mean letting the doctors have her.

Nora wasn't sick per se. He would never admit that Nora was mentally ill. If anyone knew that Nora had a psychological illness, they would throw her out of the academy and stop her from achieving her dream of being a huntress.

Being a Huntress, that was not a very common dream for girls to have, but Nora still managed to get into Beacon, on course to achieve her dream. Ren had never questioned _why_ Nora had that dream – and was surprised to find out that it was to fight, and in fighting, to find love.

Ren knew that was her dream since young. Nora had always liked fighting with Magnhild but he had never imagined that Nora would go to that distance as Nora had eagerly told Shirou that she would fight, fight, fight as long as it takes to find love.

Even if it meant killing those in love to do so, or dying to do so – to find love, one must fight to earn the right.

Hearing Nora say that with a smile on her face and genuinely believe in what she said gave Ren no other option but to believe Shirou.

..

The CT scan that Nora took, Ren ripped it apart himself as they accepted the doctor's diagnosis and took the prescription that he recommended Nora to take. The drugs were to calm Nora down but they had side effects that would cause her drowsiness and might cause a loss of memory as they were to dissolve any blood clots in the brain that might have developed over the years. The CT scans did not show any clots, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Then again, it was also made known to them that if there _was _a clot that had resulted from the trauma to Nora's head, it would have been too late – or had moved elsewhere in the body like a ticking timebomb. As if things couldn't get worse, or could it? The worst was yet to come though, as Ren had to decide whether to let Nora or her family know about her injury and psychological damage to her psyche.

Ren wasn't an expert, and neither was Shirou but Shirou was willing to help Nora to live a normal life without trying to change her. Ren would rather _die_ than see Nora being subjected to various tests, cures or counselling sessions to try and 'fix' her. Nora did not need any change – that much was certain.

Ren knew objectively that he was being overprotective, and he wasn't letting Nora have a say in this matter. But if Shirou was right, Nora wouldn't care in the first place what others thought of her and would just do whatever Ren suggested.

At least he hoped so, because Ren had decided to keep Nora's family in the dark with Shirou's blessings. Before even bringing Nora to the hospital for the scan, the leader of SNPR had took Ren aside and told him that he would be counting on him to take care of Nora. Him, taking responsibility of Nora? That was pretty much his job ever since he knew her but when he phrased it that way to him, when he asked him for permission to get Nora checked out, Ren had not hesitated.

He had taken the burden and responsibility willingly and now he would have to live with it.

What did Ren feel about Nora? He wasn't sure – but he will have four years to figure out what his relationship with Nora really meant to him. Shirou promised that he would help Nora start to relate with the world more, to let her understand her view and perspective was different. Acceptance was the first thing towards rehabilitation after all and Ren, well Ren wanted Nora to stay like she was – even if doing so meant that Nora would never be normal.

He didn't need her to be.

* * *

'Looks like we're all done!'

Ruby put her hands up in the air in celebration while the rest of RWBY followed her example. Team SNPR wasn't that enthusiastic as Nora had drank another bottle of sap that they had just collected. Right now Nora was on 'time-out' together with Ren, who was making sure Nora was staying away from the bottles while Pyrrha collected the sap.

Shirou was out on patrol, looking for any Grimms that might wish to ambush them by himself. Yang had objected and wanted to accompany him, much to Shirou's chagrin but was quickly persuaded not to. Seeing Yang much like her usual self, even flirting with Shirou all the time was relieving and disconcerting. So what exactly happened the night before?

'That's great! I suppose you wouldn't mind giving us a hand here too?'

Pyrrha asked sheepishly as she pointed to the small pile of jars that still needed to be filled. They were effectively working with two people here, Shirou and Pyrrha and when Shirou went to patrol, you get the picture.

'Sure! I'll relieve Shirou after he gets back from this round and the rest can help you guys, right?'

As the members of RWBY did just that, all of them were unaware of the threat that was building far far away from them.

Standing by himself in the middle of forests, the same cloaked figure that had appeared in front of Cardin Windchester smiled to himself as he pressed a button on a receiver that he was holding in his hands.

'Let the experiment, begin.'

He muttered softly to himself as a signal was transmitted all over the forest of Forever Fall and a moment later, the sounds of agitated Grimms roaring in the forest could be heard. The Grimms grouped together, gathering in packs before starting to move, searching for their prey.

* * *

The Grimms had come out of nowhere, charging in with a growl that had thankfully warned Ruby of their approach. The leader of RWBY had quickly headed back to the two teams, shouting a warning to the others as she regrouped with hers.

Thanks to the warning, RWBY and SNPR were more than ready when a pack of Grimms, numbering around fifteen beings leapt into the clearing and surrounded them.

Both teams had quickly gotten into formation but after a quick discussion, had decided to let Shirou take overall command of the two groups as they prepared to engage the Grimms.

Shirou's first objective was to break someone out of the encirclement to warn the others about the Grimm attacks. Grimms travelled in packs and Ruby had spotted a separate group running away from them.

As the fastest of them all, Ruby was chosen to deliver the news and despite being a little upset about that, she had agreed.

'Why are they here anyway?'

Pyrrha shouted back as she blocked a Grimm's charge with her shield. The follow up attack was delivered by Weiss, who stabbed it between the eyes before Pyrrha pushed it's corpse away from it. If every kill was this easy, they would be home free.

Sadly however, the number of Grimms just kept increasing and as Shirou did not like the idea of breaking formation to take them out, they were effectively being cordoned off.

'They might be attracted to the sap! If we throw it away, they might follow it instead.'

Blake answered while dodging the attempts of a Grimm to cut her in half. Her evasive manoeuvres were however meant to cover Yang as she took her place, delivering a powerful uppercut that sent the Grimm growling back in pain. The head shot that Ren delivered was spot on as well and the Grimm dropped dead on it's feet.

'That is not happening, we are _not_ collecting all that sap again. We will take their heads and collect their bounties.'

Weiss declared emphatically with a twitch on her face, the heiress had had suffered a terrible day dealing with all the bugs and she w_as _not pleased.

_'_I am glad you have your priorities in the right place, Miss Schnee.'

Shirou deadpanned before nodding to Nora, who grinned. Pyrrha had a resigned look on her face when Shirou told her quietly to begin combination attack four.

'We're breaking through the encirclement. Follow Nora's lead, Ruby!'

Shirou barked out an order and Ruby nodded, preparing herself to follow Nora while Pyrrha threw her shield straight at the next Grimm with all her strength. The shield sliced through the air and slashed at the chest of the Grimm that Pyrrha had aimed for.

Despite the damage done, the Grimm was still alive and it gripped on to Pyrrha's shield. Team RWBY looked uncertain but Pyrrha maintained that same cool demeanor as Nora was already running forward, with Ruby following behind her closely.

'Nora, SMASH!'

Nora swung Magnhild straight at Pyrrha's shield Akoúo̱ and with the force of Magnhild behind it, Akoúo̱ sliced through the Grimm like butter, killing it and allowing Ruby to dash past the blockade.

'What about your shield?'

Yang asked in worry as Pyrrha took position behind her, Miló in hand as she changed it to the rifle form to provide cover fire.

'It'll come back in a bit.'

Pyrrha winked while urging Yang to stay focus on the battle while Nora took point, swinging Magnhild mightily with Blake at her flank while running interference. Any Grimms that tried to get pass Nora would be pulled towards her with the help of Gambol Shroud.

Team SNPR and RWBY had hunkered down in the clearing, Nora and Blake were at point in front, Shirou and Yang at the back while Ren, Weiss and Pyrrha provided supporting fire to take down any Grimm that tried to break through the two front lines.

True to what Pyrrha had told Yang earlier, Akoúo̱ returned a moment later in what seemed to be a controlled flight as it sliced it's way through the bunched together Grimms before returning to Pyrrha's side. The redhead was sweating a little but she seemed none the worse for wear when Shirou asked for her assistance again.

..

'Doing good you guys! Ren, we need some recon!'

Shirou shouted out to his team mates to the confusion of the girls of RWBY. Ren gave a brief sigh before running towards Pyrrha who was kneeling down with Akoúo̱ held above her head as a platform before launching Ren up into the air.

To Weiss, Team SNPR was much more prepared than they were adapting to a surprise attack, but they were doing fine themselves. Seeing how Shirou took control easily made Weiss bite her lip in just a bit of frustration. She was supposed to be the field monitor and the second in command, but Shirou was making her feel more than a little inadequate. She wanted to have the confidence that Shirou had to call the shots, but she couldn't help but over-think sometimes and that hesitation would cost her if not for the fact that her team was well drilled themselves.

'All clear at the back, Weiss! Attack Plan 4!'

Yang called out to her and the Schnee heiress nodded before calling out a command herself.

'Mm... Alright! We need ten feet of clearance for our next attack Shirou. On five, Yang!'

Weiss smiled coldly while the two of them jumped back and on the count of three, released the green dust that formed a wind elemental attack a few seconds after Yang fired off one of her cartridges towards the crowd of Grimms that the two of them were engaging before.

'Eat dust!'

A dust cartridge powered by Yang's semblance time detonated perfectly in sync with Weiss's attack right in front of the group, detonating and creating a large fireball that erupted with a loud 'whump', wiping out the entire group of Grimm out in a single attack.

'Woah that's big!'

Weiss could hear Nora cheering behind her but there was no time to rest for Ren had landed back on his feet after doing a quick perimeter check from the sky after being launched into the air by Pyrrha.

'How is it Ren? Are we clearing them out?'

'No, reinforcements for the Grimms coming in from 4o'clock. Approximately twenty in number and distance from us is thirty feet away.'

Ren reported while reloading his weapon, to the point as always.

'I believe that Ruby is unable to break through. She is around fifty feet away, nine'o clock.'

Yang paled at the news but Shirou maintained his cool before nodding to her.

'We need to bring her back ,we can't risk her being injured or surrounded. We will move as one to regroup with the rest when we clear this area. Leave it to us...'

The eyes of Emiya Shirou was hard and his tone even more so as the life of Ruby Rose was placed in his hands.

'That's not necessary, Shirou. Weiss, formation D please.'

Blake interjected as she broke formation from Nora to rest behind her. A moment of silence later and from Blake's shadows, three copies of her jumped out. They looked exactly like her and the three of them nodded to Weiss who gave a sigh before nodding her head.

'It's not like we didn't prepare for such an event by ourselves, Shirou.'

Weiss answered coldly before waving Myrtenaster behind Blake, three glyphs appeared in the air that launched the Blake clones forward into the air and above the tree line in an instant. No doubt the Blake clones would return shortly with Ruby but the most important part was the message that had been delivered.

Team RWBY weren't deadweight, they were not just girls who could follow orders. They were their own team, and they had their own strategies and their own internal plans and formations.

For a moment Team SNPR was speechless but that moment was quickly over when the next wave of Grimms came charging towards them. Weiss did smile however at Shirou giving her a thumbs up before he was back in the fray again, the message was received loud and clear. The two teams were comrades, and neither of them were holding the other one back.

* * *

_**This part isn't really omakes, it's just me just writing whatever scenes I have in my head. Expect them to be short. This is not canon.**_

_**Bowpurity writes:**_

* * *

"Guys! Guys! Grimms!" Ruby shouted, her girly shriek of alarm sending all of them into high alert. They disengaged the safety on their weapons, extending them to their full form, and watched as Ruby landed in front of them.

"Grimms, Grimms! As far as the eye can see! There's got to be hundreds, no thousands of them out there! What do we do? What do we do?! What do we do?"

The girl was in a clear panic, and Shirou's eyes hardened. He sheathed Crocea Mors, and would place a hand on her shoulder.

"Moving retreat. We run. Now!" He shouted, releasing her shoulder as he ran a few steps forward. "We need to rejoin with the others! Fight as a team, but move!" He drew his sword again, but this time, he threw it into the distance, where a Grimm's cry of pain could be heard.

The cry prompted all of them to react, and soon, the two teams ran away… All except for Shirou.

It took ten seconds for them to realize it though, and it was Phyrra whom was the first. "Shirou! Where's Shirou!"

"He said he had to get his sword!" Ren replied. "He'll meet with us soon!"

Nora's cry of delight interrupted them both. "What! Shirou's fighting to get his sword? Why didn't he tell me!"

She stopped and ran back the way she came, causing a cry of alarm from Ren, whom hastily followed her. Pyrra quickly followed, and team RWBY nervously looked at each other as they ran.

"Ruby…" Blake started.

"He'll be fine… We just have to trust him." Ruby replied.

"But… what about the others?"

Ruby looked conflicted, and it was Yang whom saved her.

"I'm going back! I want to see Shirou!"

A full blush appeared on Blake's cheeks, but it was Weiss who reacted.

"Yang?!" She screeched, but Yang had already ran back. "What a brazen declaration! Have you no shame! Come back here!"

Weiss quickly followed, and the remaining two members smiled as they headed back. Neither dared to meet the eyes of the other.

* * *

It wasn't long before they encountered SNPR, but surprisingly, Nora, Ren and Pyrrha were standing still, staring out at an open area.

"Shirou! You are so cool!" Nora cheered, while the other two looked gobsmacked.

"What, what the hell!" Yang exclaimed.

"Swords…" Blake spoke, mistified.

Ruby was mystified. There, alone, Shirou stood, and in front of him lay countless grimms, all with swords impaled in them. His right hand was pointed at the grims, and ripples in the air could be seen behind and beside him.

Grimms, both small and panther sized came leaping out of cover, charging towards Shirou, and in return, a sword would suddenly appear, piercing and sending the creature backwards, gravity causing the corpse to fall to the floor.

Due to her shock, Ruby took a few seconds to realize the sword came from the ripples… no… the sword was launched from the ripples. Which one, she couldn't tell, but it didn't matter. Akin to the speed of a rifle, swords were launched, killing each grim as they entered his sight.

On that day, Ruby saw Shirou as a superhero, the man of steel whom had saved.

..

Then she pouted.

"Why can't I have that semblance? That's so unfair!"

And Shirou, he couldn't help but lift his free hand to the side of his forehead.


	14. Chapter 13

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 13_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: Ahh, this chapter was a disaster, at least from my end. I had to do 3 versions of a significant part of the story. Thanks to bowpurity, Nephirin and XoreandoX for their hard work on it. I have to especially thank XoreandoX for his patience as we worked out the matter and he was up till 0430hrs to get this chapter out. Thanks so much!**

**Nephirin too for his debate and arguments on the OOC and IC nature of the fic - and also to bowpurity for putting up with my ranting and train of thoughts as I tried to figure out what was wrong. Lastly - Catherine is.. well, her usual self - No Crocea Mors for you guys /yet/ be patient a little please.**

**Finally - As per the reviews, we would do a slow reveal of the established PooL canon due to Nasuverse elements, but it'll be wordy, and long, and would not be taking place so soon - apologies for that. It'll take /quite/ a while. For RWBY Season II, I won't be using it at all - we would be terminating RWBY canon up till Season I due to developments that would happen in the future of the fic.**

**Oh - lastly, lastly, alot of the combat scene additions were done by XoreandoX too - he made it less dry. Haha, nothing further from me: Enjoy Chapter 13!  
**

* * *

_**XoreandoX: Well in regards to this chapter, from a co-author's perspective we had some issues with conveying the emotional attachments we wanted in the last scene, in order to provide the proper foundation for future scenes in the coming chapters, at least during the first draft. This was also a chapter wrathie had told me would contain a lot of problems, since it was one that would have a lot of combat involved, while there were some problems with the combat, I think the scenes post-battle kind of make up for it. So without further delay, I hope you all enjoy the chapter.**_

* * *

'Thanks!'

Ruby called out to her friend and teammate Blake who had swooped in to assist her in her bid to break free from the wall of monsters that were stopping her from reaching her objective. The more time she wasted here, the longer more her fellow classmates were in danger after all.

She had dealt with the few Grimms who had tried to stop her with extreme prejudice, the bulk of them missing their heads as Ruby had lopped them off immediately.

Ruby was relieved that she was able to do that, but it was a mixture of the speed in which she swung the weapon and how sharp Crescent Rose was that allowed her to behead them like putting a hot knife through butter.

Ruby did not have the physical strength that her sister had and focused most of her fighting style in cutting and slashing deeply to wound her targets before they fell from their injuries and indeed, most of her kill counts were from that particular method.

It was a messy and terrible way to die and if Ruby could manage it, she would rather kill her targets outright rather than kill them slowly like she tended to.

Her fight with Roman Torchwick notwithstanding, Ruby was more of a slicing and slashing kind of girl. It's just that she can't do it with people you know, what if she slashed a little _too_ hard? People's lives were at stake, and she would have gotten in trouble for killing criminals who couldn't match her strength anyway.

But Grimms were different and if not for the fact that she was pressured for time – and that she could not deal a killing blow with her weapon made her frustration grow with every moment the Grimms _refused_ to die.

Until three blurs of darkness stepped in, slashed the throats of the Grimms that were surrounding her. Seeing that their targets were the Grimms and not her, Ruby did not immediately attack them when they flanked her sides before she relaxed at seeing it was Blake, or Blake's clones.

As the three of them gave the hand signal for 'retreat' and 'regroup', Ruby frowned before nodding. Blake's clones were very useful but were extremely tiring for her to utilize. They were formed by concentrated amounts of Aura and Blake could produce at most five of them and that would leave her complete drained of Aura and would need a day's recovery to be fully functional again.

For her to dispatch three of them to fetch her would mean that the situation had worsened on their end, or the danger level on _her_ end had changed drastically as well.

'Roger that.'

Ruby nodded in affirmative and she gave two of the clones a two fingered salute before accompanying the last one back to where she had came from. Not a moment too soon either as when Ruby followed the Blake clone to the trees, a new group of Grimm burst into the screen to attack the two Blake clones that were left behind.

Prior experimentation had shown that Blake's clones were independent beings that retained her memory upon the creation of the clones, but in order to identify clones from the real Blake, clones would communicate with hand signals upon meeting another of their team members. They would also refrain from talking if possible to reinforce that Blake's clones were just that, clones.

As much as all of them had disliked the idea, it would be unproductive for them to treat Blake's clones just like the original as they were expendable. Calling someone who looked just like their friends expendable was bad and everyone was unhappy about it, it took Blake's insistence that it was something they _had_ to get used to if they had her on their team.

Blake's more devastating combinations involved her clones and over the years of experimenting and training, many of them involved her clones being sacrificed to take down an enemy that was much more stronger than her.

They just _had_ to get used to it, just like how she had gotten used to seeing the horrified look on her own face as her clone was ''killed' in combat. It was something that she did not like getting used to, but she did, and so the others must too if they were to tap in to her strengths.

Forcing the clone Blakes to not say a word reinforced their image of not being the real one and together with the hand signals, would help Team RWBY get used to working alongside Blake's clones.

It was a very relieving thought to know that the clones and Blake didn't share memories when the clones 'die' or Blake would no doubt have to visit a psychologist regularly after getting hit with the many ways her clones could die.

It was probably an exaggeration but Ruby certainly felt so as the sounds of furious combat could be heard when she left the Blake clones behind. The clone with her seemed to sense that and stepped a little closer to rest a hand on her shoulder before dashing forward to lead and scout the way for Ruby. In a straight out flat run, Ruby was faster than Blake thanks to her semblance, but when it came to racing by leaping from tree to tree, Blake had the edge here for now.

* * *

'They just keep coming.'

Weiss muttered softly while surveying the battlefield closely. The two teams were devastating the Grimms that had gathered around them with brutal efficiency. So much so that the many bodies that were lying around was making it difficult for the two taking point, Shirou and Pyrrha, from performing their role as well as they could.

With bodies getting in their way, it was all they could to maintain the two invisible lines both at the front and at the rear. In light of that, Weiss called out to Shirou and Pyrrha to start a fighting retreat towards the tree line before pointing Myrtenaster to the air and shouting to Yang again.

'We need to level the battlefield, plan 4!'

'Again? I'm almost out! I need a reload after this!'

Yang shouted back while looking a little aggrieved. Weiss bit her lip in frustration but it was a judgement call.

'Yes, again! On five!'

Weiss repeated and their successful combination attack felled several trees and created a large clearing for them to continue using their formation without worrying about whether they could be out manoeuvred or be ambushed.

'Sorry for being late guys!'

A shout from the front of them was accompanied by a flash of red and black, the flash cutting through the crowd of Grimms that was about to attack Nora and Pyrrha who was taking point in front. Which signaled Ruby was back and she had returned in with style, slicing through the Grimms before screeching to a halt in front of them. The Blake clone that was with her jumped straight into the fray to replace Yang who jumped back herself to reload Ember Celica.

'Good to have you back, Ruby. We have to clear this area out before we can regroup with the rest.'

Shirou did not even sound winded as he fell back from his position, leaving Blake and her clone to cover for the moment before Yang dashed back into the fray to assist her team mates.

'Is it really that bad?'

Ruby asked in worry and when Ren explained the general situation of what he had saw while in the air earlier, she nodded her head in understanding.

'Right, let's make it quick then. I'll provide cover fire as well. Unless Weiss wants to continue doing that?'

Ruby asked but Shirou shook his head and told Ruby that her skill set was best suited to fend them off head off instead.

'Weiss's attacks are more powerful at ranged, Ruby, speed is the priority here. Don't hold back.'

Shirou spoke tersely before he charged back to the fray as well, Crocea Mors singing in the air as he delivered a powerful cross cut that opened up the Grimm that had dared challenged him. It was interesting to note that Yang had immediately stepped to the side to allow Shirou to deal the lethal blow to the Grimm she was fighting as if she expected that to happen. Perhaps that _was_ the case as Yang would have left herself wide open if Shirou hadn't ended that Grimm with that one slash.

..

'Let's make this one a fast one.'

Ruby mumbled before she disappeared, blurring away in a show of speed and in the next moment, Ruby was in the thick of combat after removing the heads of a Grimm that was being held back by Pyrrha. The shocked look on Pyrrha's face was replaced with a vicious grin as she threw Miló towards the crowd of Grimm and watched with satisfaction as it struck between the air of one of them.

'Nora, I'm counting on you!'

At the affirmative cry from Nora, Pyrrha leapt back while throwing Akoúo̱ as the two girls passed each other and the battle maniac swung Magnhild mightily to propel the shield straight towards the gathering crowd of Grimm again and splitting several of them in half at the waist.

The shield sliced through them easily and amidst the chaos, one could see Pyrrha grinning as Miló returned to her arms like a boomerang.

'How do you do that, Pyrrha? Is that your semblance?'

Ruby flashed into existence beside her and the redhead jumped in surprise as she converted Miló to it's javelin form before throwing it again.

'Yep. Watch.'

Pyrrha winked as Miló changed direction in mid air to pierce the eye out of a Grimm that was trying to attack Nora from behind. The hammer wielding girl was having a field day as she swung Magnhild mightily around her without a care in the world. The happy grin and the loud laughter would be unnerving enough but that was coupled by how in a few instances, the hammer's blows were bolstered by mini explosions that blew the body of Grimms clear away with no mercy.

'That's amazing. How about a combination attack?' Ruby asked while Pyrrha raised an eyebrow before nodding in acknowledgement.

'Deal, but could your retrieve Miló and Akoúo̱ for me? I'd like to be armed at least.'

Ruby nodded and the leader of RWBY disappeared into another blur, leaving Pyrrha wondering just how _fast_ the other girl could go if she could just disappear like that.

* * *

The battle with the Grimm horde did not last long due to a combination of Ruby and Pyrrha's combination attack with Pyrrha's semblance and Ruby's Crescent Rose.

Having a scythe slicing through the air and beheading an entire group of Grimms in an instant tends to turn the favour of battles after all. It did not hurt that covering the back of the two teams was the most dysfunctional and working trio between the two teams.

Blake was acting as the bait, luring them well within range of her other teammates before delivering quick slashes on the Grimm's legs, ankles, thighs, groin, essentially any area that might stop it in it's tracks before Yang stepped in after her. The two of them were well experienced in each other's modus operandi and Yang delivered punishing punches to the same areas to bring the Grimm to a vulnerable position for the others to finish it.

Only in this case, Shirou did so by casually beheading the Grimm like an executioner before moving and intercepting the attacks on the girls and shield bashing the attacking Grimm away to create space for them to maneuver before starting their assault anew.

As to why the group was dysfunctional – the two girls worked reasonably well enough but with Shirou having to take point, Yang was forced to take on her foes while sticking to his back and the two would alternate and rotate between the two of them to the Grimm that Blake had lured within striking distance.

It was a risky way to engage the dangerous Grimms and if the three of them did not trust each other explicitly, the line would never hold and Blake would never be able to lure them as close or as effectively.

After the final Grimm was decapitated by Crescent Rose, Team RWBY and Team SNPR headed off together to regroup with the rest of their class but when they did, it was not a pretty sight.

..

The entire class was being besieged on all fronts by an advancing army of Grimms and it was distressing to see even Glynda Goodwitch being pressed to cover two fronts, defending some of her wounded charges and attacking the seemingly never-ending number of Grimms that threatened to overwhelm them using large-scale dust attacks.

The other students were unfortunately out of their depths, or perhaps were too terrified and drained with the sudden outburst of violence. There were very few students who were still physically able of taking on the Grimms and the students forming the front line were struggling to hold what was left of their formation when team RWBY and SNPR arrived.

'We have to provide cover first, after which Ruby, Blake and I will join the other students to reinforce the front lines. The rest are to stay behind to -

'No.'

Shirou was interrupted by Ren who shook his head to suggest another plan instead.

'The Grimms don't have any further reinforcements coming, we ensured that. Instead of focusing on providing covering fire in order for them to retreat, we should instead provide range support from here. Most of us have some kind of ranged attack and we are in a better position to take them out. Start with the ones closer to the rear and force them around towards the front, if we can reinforce their positions, they should be able to push them back. Shirou, you would be keeping point while we herd them to your position. Can you hold a choke point?'

The girls sans Nora found themselves a little hesitant at how the tired looking boy was giving commands. However when Shirou nodded in acknowledgement, they moved just as quickly to their positions and started shelling the Grimms with all they had.

Ruby, with her precision sniper rifle was a great shot and her instructions were to pick off individual Grimms that were converging around Miss Goodwitch to free her from distractions to unleash her potent techniques on the Grimms. It definitely worked as she was soon able to change from a defensive role to a more offensive one, and began raining down a storm of molten spikes, and skewered a large group of Grimms .

Pyrrha had a similar role, only her rounds weren't as strong as Ruby's but she had a better firing rate and was able to target more Grimm since she didn't require as much time to readjust her aim. Hence her role was to take out the Grimms that were trying to break through the front line that their classmates were trying to desperately hold. It was a much easier task than Ruby, who had to take the Grimms out with each shot while Pyrrha simply had to distract and injure them as she fired continuously.

Nora, Weiss and Yang were in charge of dealing as much damage as possible with their ranged options. Magnhild fired pure dust powered grenades that worked well with Yang's own fire elemental cartridges that would cause a mini explosion that was not unlike what her combination attacks with Weiss were. Coupled that with Weiss's own experimentations with what the other two were shelling down on the helpless foes and it was close to a massacre.

Coupled with Ren and Blake's herding techniques using their rapid firing weapons, they managed force the army of Grimms closer and closer together – leaving Shirou hold them off, to ensure that the Grimms were trapped in a pincer attack that was put down without too much difficulty with Miss Goodwitch around.

* * *

'Let's not do that again.'

Weiss gave a tired gasp as she slid down to sit beside her partner, a panting Yang who was in disagreement.

'Are you KIDDING?! We should totally do this again! You don't get to fight an army that easily, yeah? That really got my blood pumping!'

Yang grinned while slapping her own lap in excitement. She looked up briefly, grinned and subsequently bumped fists with an amazingly still energetic Nora, the hammer wielding girl's only visible sign that she was even tired was how she was sweating a little as she beamed at her friends. Though Nora was a little fidgety in her position as she was waiting for Ren.

The tired looking boy was currently being questioned by Miss Glynda about his tactics for the previous battle. Shirou as, the team leader was present while an interested Ruby had tagged along.

The other two girls not accounted for, Pyrrha and Blake were currently checking on the other students to offer what help they could.

Blake was trained in first aid to the surprise of the others. The same could be said of Pyrrha and the two of them offered what aid they could to their fellow classmates, many of whom were thankful for their help. Some of the students were injured, but most upsetting of all was that a few of them were even dead, being caught by surprise and too slow to defend themselves.

Still, fatalities out in the field was expected, especially as huntsmen and huntresses in-training – it could be said that it was a part of life in Vale, one that was even more common the further away from the main cities that one lived.

..

So when Glynda saw the horrified and broken look in Emiya Shirou's face, she was concerned and worried for him. He was a very promising young man who was adopted into a good family. From the initiation up till this successful mission, Emiya Shirou had been a model student – the _top_ student in fact if not for his personal decision to not train or spar with his aura and semblance. As aura and semblance control as well as aura manipulation was a very important part of being a huntsmen, his stubbornness to not practise on that craft meant that his grades would suffer as a result even if he was a perfect huntsmen in live combat.

This was especially shown after this disastrous field trip, he had shown courage, leadership and tenacity to bring his and Team RWBY back intact with hardly any injury besides aura exhaustion from all of his team mates.

It was an achievement that he should be proud of – the other teams had suffered many injuries and some were even down a few of their members. It was a complete disaster – but Glynda had seen her share of battlefields – participated in some and has become quite jaded in regards to weariness and the aftermath of life and death battles. What she should do now was to start helping the shattered first year students – to get them used to this scenario just like this as they would likely be seeing a lot of this in the future. Life as a Huntsman and Huntress was not a walk in the park and a large majority of the time, one would see death, destruction and helplessness while on the job. It might not be them who were on the losing end, but the helpless towns folk, the villagers, they would be the first causalities and it would be an all too common sight for them to experience.

Even if Glynda was jaded to the sight, she had accepted it as the norm – she would have thought that out of _all _the first year students: Emiya Shirou would be able to get a hold of himself the best. The first year student's adopted family was part of the militia after all! But no, he had that haunted, disappointed and guilty look of an individual who was experiencing his first battle, which was definitely not the case.

..

'Calm down, Mr. Emiya, I understand that it is upsetting news, or are you upset at the way that Mr. Lie handled the situation?'

Glynda gave Ren a disapproving look after stopping their team to speak with Emiya Shirou. Glynda had not appreciated how the two teams had not offered their help directly and instead choose that roundabout method to assist them instead. In her opinion the strategy was not flawed, but it was certainly not the best way to end the battle, if their defensive line had been breached before the Grimms were slain, the injuries that they would have suffered would've been even more severe.

'I stand by my team members, Miss Goodwitch, if he says this is the right strategy, it is the right one. I am upset … that I could not do more.'

Shirou controlled his temper well but it was still obvious to those who knew him, they had never seen Shirou so agitated before – he was even shivering!

'What's done, is done. I understand you expect a lot out of yourself, Mr. Emiya, believe me when I say that I truly feel for their loss, and I certainly am not happy about how they have died in the line of duty so soon – but there was nothing that you could have done to save them.'

Shirou was certain that amongst the few that had fallen, majority of them had not died in the 'line of duty' like Miss Goodwitch was saying. It was one thing to die in combat, and it was another to be cut down for no reason at all – if he... if he didn't have to hold back, this wouldn't have happened!

'It's not right, I'm sure that I could have done something, anything. If I could have just known about this earlier – we would have broke out of that encirclement earlier.'

Shirou replied while desperately fighting his anger, his hands clenched and he flinched when Ren placed a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down. Miss Goodwitch however chose to reply to him sternly and yet calmly as she admonished Shirou.

'I am, disappointed, Mr. Emiya. Please do not show any further disrespect to the fallen in this way. Out of all the teams, only yours and RWBY were able to successfully defend against the onslaught that even a third year team would find difficult. No one is at fault for this incident – not you, nor anyone else. It is the Grimm who are to blame for this. Channel your anger and frustration at them instead if you truly wish to right what happened today. No one before – much less you, would be able to protect everyone at any given time. If it was possible – we Huntresses and Huntsmen would not be necessary.'

That was not the answer that Shirou was expecting as he growled audibly.

'They might be the cause of their death yes, but we are training to be Huntsmen and Huntresses, what use are we if we can't even protect ourselves? If we cannot even protect our own, how can we protect others who might need our help?'

Shirou's angry retort was enough to gather attention to them and although Miss Goodwitch looked like she wanted to reply, Shirou chose to have the last word instead.

'This _shouldn't_ have happened – if only I was strong enough. But it still did... I, I understand that sometimes accidents happen, that thing goes wrong... and we _are _in dangerous territory. I understand all _that_, but-!'

Shirou paused when he felt Ruby's hands on his shoulders, a small sad smile to support him. Beside him was Ren, him looking as determined while looking slightly lazy. The two of them were supporting him and if he looked behind him, he would see the other members of RWBY and SNPR pledging their support by starting to gather behind him.

Shirou was a knight, a person who protects, defends and fights for others – and this was something that he believed was fundamentally wrong no matter how one looked at it.

'It's not supposed to happen when we are here, when we could have prevented it. Miss Goodwitch, do you not agree me with this? They should not have lose their lives today... at all.'

Miss Goodwitch found herself unable to give any response but to nod her head. Fundamentally she might understand why Shirou was upset, but again, she had no idea why Shirou was so upset at something that was, well, _normal_. Surely Shirou would have seen death others killed by Grimms before, why was he getting so worked up over this matter at all?

But Miss Goodwitch kept her silence _this _time as Shirou had the support of not only his team, team RWBY, but a healthy portion of the students who had lost friends in this disastrous field trip.

'You... have the dream, desire and drive to be a good,no, a great huntsmen. But no single person should take responsibility for the lives of others – no matter how well your intentions are. All of us are responsible for ourselves... think about that, Mr. Emiya.'

Miss Goodwitch gave Shirou a nod in acknowledgement and that seemed to settle the issue as Ruby Rose and Lie Ren pulled at Shirou to guide him away.

Shirou closed his eyes before giving a long sigh – one that made Ren narrow his eyes before shaking his own head. This was just like what Shirou had told him – his distortion, his one weakness that he could not shake out of.

* * *

'That's enough, Shirou. I know you're upset, we all are, but that's no reason for you to take it out on Miss Goodwitch'

Ruby hissed at Shirou and Ren nodded his head as the two of them pulled the leader of SNPR back towards a gathering group of students. The group of students that had gathered curiously at the scene, and who had subsequently supported Shirou was slowly dispersing. Save for a few students who appeared to be in the team with those who had died.

'You are... Mr. Shirou... right?'

One of them asked quietly and when Shirou nodded in reply, confused and unsure on their intent.

'Thank you, for caring about our teammates like that. Did you know any of them?'

Shirou answered in the negative while Ruby and Ren just looked uncomfortable at the possible look of awe that the other group was expressing. It was not even an exaggeration, the few girls that were in the group were whispering to each other about how he was just like a knight. If Shirou's group could _hear_ them, they were hardly even whispering, right?

'Then we should thank you more, Mr. Shirou. Thank you for caring so much for our team members even if you didn't know them. It's... painful to know that they died in that manner.'

The man who was addressing Shirou gave a grimace and Shirou nodded his head solemnly in reply.

'But to have someone who actually cared that they... they died, it... makes it better, I, we, just wanted to tell you that.'

He ended while looking a little awkward but he and the rest of the group was confused when Shirou replied.

'… I'm not sure if you have found closure... but, I, haven't. They still, shouldn't... have died. I was too weak, I don't deserve your thanks.'

Shirou shook his head sadly and he seemed to be looking at an something the others could not see when he looked up at the sky ever so slightly.

'I can't accept this... what use is having power if we can't protect those around you.'

Surprisingly it was Ruby who answered the question, but she seemed a little afraid as she tugged at Shirou's sleeve to get him to look at her instead.

'You're right, Shirou, but you're wrong too.'

Ruby swallowed when the attention of everyone who had been following the conversation fell on her instead.

'It's not wrong to want to protect everyone, Shirou – but if you keep getting beat up over a failure, you can't move forward.'

Ruby answered evenly and when Shirou tried to refute her claim, he paused when he recognized the look in Ruby's eyes. A look of loss, pain and regret that he knew all too well and he kept quiet. The moment was over so fast that Shirou might have been seeing things, but with the firm way that Ruby held her ground – it was definitely _not_ an illusion or a trick of his eyes.

Ruby Rose, the girl who had shared a similar dream with him had a past that might even mirror his. So Emiya Shirou allowed his anger and frustration to fade for now as he had another objective to achieve – to find out more about Ruby Rose and how she could show that look that he knew all too well.

That was the look that he had seen once, on the face of Rin when she had sent her most stalwart knight off.


	15. Chapter 14

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 14_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: Oh man oh man, this chapter was an editing nightmare for me and XoreandoX. Thanks so much for Nephirim and bowpurity for keeping up with us. Really, appreciate it. Now this chapter - I just have to declare that PooL canon isn't the same as RWBY canon, it differs a little due to our interpretation and inclusion of the established nasuverse mechanics. Other wise, nothing much for me to comment on this chapter.**

**Oh - thank you guys for all the support you've given me so far. Keep the reviews coming? ahaha.**

**Lastly - the Sidestory portion was recommended by Nephirim to h/o till Chapter 15, but I would like to declare that PooL won't be updated for a longer period than before, due to some issues with the storyboarding we need to implement and discuss. So - I've decided to push forward this little tidbit for those who were expecting those two to appear eventually.**

* * *

_XoreandoX: Well this chapter is meant to set the stage for the next chapter, though I agree that this will more than likely drive quite a few of you up the wall given how long we were taking with revealing Shirou. So yeah, have fun with this chapter, and until we meet again, Keep on Writing._

* * *

'I call dibs on the bath!' Yang demanded fiercely as team RWBY returned to their rooms after the disaster at Forever Fall. Yang smirked before teasing her partner, who was mumbling quietly to herself. 'Or we can just share one together, Weiss.'

Yang teased her partner who was mumbling quietly to herself. The Schnee Heiress had her face planted in her pillow, too tired to think about what she was going to do after dinner.

In the end no one had any idea why the Grimm attacked all of them out of the blue. There had been many theories on why the Grimm had suddenly attacked them like that – with the popular theory being the sap of the trees drawing them to the students. Grimm were known to be fiercely aggressive against humans after all and it wasn't surprising for them to attack if they saw humans.

What made the two teams confused was the sheer number of Grimm that they had to carve themselves through for them to get clear. It was like the _entire _population of Grimm in a five mile radius had gathered to attack them instead of just a few random packs that had gathered by chance.

It was a troubling thought, but the most pressing matter on hand was what Shirou had said. His words didn't seem too troubling at first glance, but the emotions that Shirou displayed as well as the prior knowledge that Shirou had an unhealthy obsession protecting others had the girls reflecting on the issue.

It was _normal_ for people to die of Grimm attacks. It was a fact of life that Huntresses' lives were dangerous – their occupational hazard was dying to Grimm and no job was truly safe. It was _because_ all huntsmen and huntresses had known and had accepted the risks that made them all the more awe-inspiring in their culture and lives.

There was probably no child who had not gone through life without being a witness to a Grimm attack, or an incident where they were saved by Huntsmen or Huntresses. This was something that all of them faced – yet, Shirou was determined to take responsibility for the deaths of the students, as though it was his fault that they died, instead of the Grimm that killed them.

It was truly an eye-opening experience for Team RWBY and SNPR, to see the normally calm and patient Shirou lose his composure and begin arguing with their Professor regarding what happened. Even after he calmed down, he was just quietly sitting on the airship that took them back to Beacon. With this new side of Shirou revealed, both RWBY and SNPR began to realize just how much like a knight Shirou really is.

The only exception to the sombre mood, besides Shirou, was Nora. She did not even seem to care about the incident, only cheerfully asking Shirou if they were still going to train after dinner while they were taking the transport back to the school.

Seeing how there was a large amount of Grimm corpses, injured students together with the body of the fallen. It was a minor blessing that the headmaster did not hold them back and instead wordlessly ordered them to be sent back to school, to take the rest of the day off and to prepare a report about the incident the next day for submission.

Nora was a handful indeed, still full of energy despite all they had gone through. The girls of RWBY however, were more than happy to collapse on their bed and take a small nap after dinner in view of the activity that they had just gone through. Fighting what must amount to two whole battalions of Grimm tends to exhaust people after all, Nora really had insane stamina and conditioning to have so much energy left.

Then again, Shirou seemed none the worse for the wear as well. The reigning champion fighter, Pyhrra was just as exhausted as they were, but it was mostly due to aura exhaustion. Perhaps Yang was right, all of them needed to work on their stamina levels and improve on their physical fitness levels if such large scale fights were going to be the norm.

What both teams were happy about was how it was mostly proven that the two teams were at the top of the class. The other teams that had tried to engage were quickly overrun and had fled back to Miss Goodwitch for help, fortunately without losing any members as they were at least still armed and was not caught off guard.

Team RWBY and Team SNPR might even get awarded medals for their bravery in helping to protect the other students together with the bounties from all the Grimm that they had killed. It might not matter for Shirou, who seemed so genuinely confused at being rewarded in such a matter that Pyrrha had to step up to thank the headmaster for arranging such a gift for all of them.

..

Of course, Weiss had her own issues. She had almost run out of her dust reserves by the time the battles were over, and she had jealously and stressfully tried her best to conserve the dust by picking precise opportunities for her attacks. It was an amazingly stressful situation as she knew that if she wasted too much on an attack, it might come back to haunt her.

Or worse, she might become dead weight, and that was a thought that she could not bear. Thankfully the conflict ended before that could happen, but the next time she had spare time, she would be developing a device that allow her to reload her weapon's dust levels. Or to come up with an alternative weapon or fighting style that wouldn't leave her vulnerable or ineffective in fighting groups of monsters. She knew exactly _why_ Shirou, Ruby and even Ren had not asked her to take point alongside the others. Fencing was more effective in one on one situations and it was too dangerous to risk her in the front lines.

She was not as effective or strong as she had imagined she would be. She needed the support of her teammates for her to unleash her strength and potential, and that made her upset.

She was a Schnee, a member of the elite and all of her team mates had proven themselves to be as strong, perhaps more, and most importantly, they were more than just a one trick pony.

Blake had taken point in the front, pulled Ruby out in a search and escort mission and even provided supporting fire at the end of the conflict.

Yang was out in the front lines, taking point and risking her life for them at the start. She had been a crucial factor in how they were able to slaughter all of the Grimm that they had cornered. Not to mention the few times they pulled off combination attacks with her flawlessly.

Ruby was even more impressive, considering her age as the leader of Team RWBY had been sent out on a solo mission that she was largely successful, taken point in front and even played a very crucial role by taking out Grimm that were pressuring Miss Goodwitch. That spoke volumes of Ruby's cool head in stress, decision making skills as well as combat skills.

In comparison, Weiss herself despite being appointed as the field monitor, as well as the second in command of Team RWBY, had been doubting herself and a few times, even hesitated to attack due to her inability to decide on a course of action.

There were times that she made the right call at the right time, but having successes does not excuse her failures and Weiss found herself strangely inadequate. She might be a little hard on herself, but she was a proud girl and she swore to do better as she rolled over to the side to look at Yang grinning at her. How the dumb blonde still got the energy to keep on chugging along was lost on Weiss but the Schnee heiress gave her the most dignified snort before blushing red.

'Please... I am dying for a bath...if that's the only way to bathe now, we will share it together...'

It was almost worth that admission to see Yang's jaw drop, but she did not like how the blonde cackled as she lifted her body up in a princess carry.

'I'll grab your change of clothes for you, Weiss, time to go bathe.'

Weiss would later regret that decision for quite some time and if the other girls heard anything from the bath, they did not comment on it at all. As far as they were concerned – nothing had happened.

* * *

'You performed well today, Nora.'

Shirou spoke softly to his teammate as the two of them started on their cool-down exercises. Nora was as tireless as always and his team mate gave him a big grin after looking up from her stretching.

'You think so? I think I did great! Ren did great too! Everyone did great! We kicked ass today!'

Nora pumped a fist into the air while Shirou chuckled as well. They certainly did. They killed so many Grimm today that he was certain that they had cleared the entire forest of Grimm. One could only hope right?

Grimm pop into existence like magic, and no one had been able to figure out exactly how. This problem was compounded when the bodies of the Grimm would fade and dissipate into the air after some time, leaving Dust behind in it's wake.

That was the sole reason bounties were given for the bodies of Grimm. The quality of dust that came from Grimm was of higher quality than most of the natural Dust that was mined.

Shirou spent some time working in a dust shop before making a name for himself under Taiga and subsequently joining Beacon. Sometimes it was difficult to connect what he left behind and what he had with him – but vowed to not forget what had happened before.

'Are you tired, Shirou?'

Nora's question snapped Shirou out of his thoughts and he shook his head before standing up. The 'Knight' of Beacon did not say anything more while Nora just looked at him curiously.

'But you looked sad just now, were you sad?'

Nora's question made him chuckle and he shrugged before asking her why she said so.

'I was just thinking of what happened today, it's... it's something I can't accept that easily.'

'You mean how the people shouldn't have died?'

'Yes, that... what do you feel about it, Nora, is it odd?'

'Odd... for people to die? No, people die when they are killed.'

Shirou winced at that, it was the second time that a similar line like that had jarred him but he soldiered on while meeting the face of the cheerful Nora. If it was Nora, she would give an honest answer.

'No, for me to feel angry at the way they died and how I-we weren't there to stop it from happening?'

'… Hmm...'

Nora rubbed her chin as she too stood up and when Nora started moving while thinking, Shirou followed her a little helplessly behind her. It felt odd that he was following Nora instead, all of team SNPR knew that although Nora had a good sense of direction, she would never lead them to where they wanted to go. No one was clear what Nora was thinking, and Shirou really hoped that Nora was pondering his question or else he'd look very silly following Nora as the two of them walked towards the direction of the Academy.

..

'Shirou is a nice person, too nice. That's why you are mad.'

Nora's reply out of the blue started Shirou and he bumped into Nora who had turned around to smile at him. His friend did ponder the question for him and Shirou thought about her words before chuckling again.

'That's not the first time someone said that to me, Nora. I guess I am, I just want to help...'

'I understand that.'

Nora replied with a confident smile, but Shirou shook his head in negative. No one could understand him, that's the harsh truth of it. No one understood why it was so important for him, or why he had to do this. Maybe Archer and Kiritsugu, but not Rin, not Sakura, not anyone else...

'I do, I do, Shirou.'

Nora repeated and instead of trying to argue with her, Shirou asked how and why Nora understood why he wanted to protect.

'Because you want to protect, don't you Shirou?'

Shirou started when Nora hit the hammer on the head, but it could be the phrasing that made it seem that way.

'… Alot of people wishes to protect others, especially their loved ones, Nora. It's not that special.'

He truly believed that anyone, when defending their loved ones would be stronger, and if they had a reason to protect something, the same thing applies.

'It's special when you want to protect everyone and not yourself.'

Shirou found himself staring at Nora who just smiled back as she continued.

'Just like Nora who needs to fight for love, Shirou needs to protect, right?'

This exchange between two individuals who had been called distorted was some what of a novelty to him. Shirou has rarely met someone who would agree with him so easily without questioning him about what his ideals and his wish. Well, Ruby had been the one before that. But does that mean Ruby was distorted too? Surely not.

'… Yeah, that's about right. Maybe you _do_ understand.' Shirou conceded with a smile that made Nora give a small sniff of acknowledgement.

'Nora understands! Shirou understood why I need to fight, and fight for love. So Nora can understand why Shirou needs to protect, so I will support Shirou just like how Shirou supports me!' Nora declared passionately back to Shirou and despite himself, the Knight of Beacon reached out to ruffle Nora's head like a child. In a way, Nora was one but he didn't mind – the girl understood even if she might not, she would support him.

Those who were distorted were driven by something, something that others do not see – and would be viewed differently due to how they clung on to that ideal that only _they_ had.

Shirou understood, Rin had explained it to him countless times – but it's not out of stubbornness that he could not change. It was that he _can't_, Nora understood that at least and that was enough.

'Thanks.'

Shirou muttered, feeling a little embarrassed but Nora didn't seem so as she just laughed while they made their way back to their room in the dormitory.

* * *

'Do you think they'll be back soon?' Pyrrha Nikos asked her team mate, Lie Ren as she polished Akoúo̱ while sitting on a chair. The redhead was an easy going sort and that helped the two of them bond, and in many sense they were fellow comrades in that they had to deal with crazy partners.

Shirou was not crazy, but he was certainly not the usual run of the mill teenager that Pyrrha had met. He had issues, issues that were mostly for the benefit of everyone, but were still issues.

His inability to protect himself was something that concerned her as well – he had no business going out to train with the dynamo that was Nora. After discovering that Nora literally could not run out, Shirou had been forced to go through more of his brutal workout regime with her as Nora had really enjoyed them.

It seemed that she could get a little tired after around 30 repetitions of the workout and it helped with her sleeping too.

Shirou, the big softie that he was, had volunteered to stay with her to help her with the workouts. And by helping, he meant doing the workouts with her. The first few times Pyrrha had to help Shirou back to the room, thankfully not having to bathe him before he crashed for the night. As the workouts intensified, at least for Nora, Shirou seemed to get used to the daily workouts faster than anyone _should_. He had not been kidding when he said that he was not in top condition and after a week, Shirou was more than able to keep up with Nora as they worked out in the evenings.

But that had nothing to do with how all of them had gone through a series of very difficult battles in Forever Fall today, she'd rather Shirou and Nora rest up.

'They should, unless they got held up. There are no classes tomorrow, Pyrrha, I'll make sure Nora rests.'

Ren replied calmly as he meditated on his bed. Ren's sudden interruption today had surprised her. She knew that Ren was smart – having Shirou appoint him as their second in command hinted as much. She'd admit that she did feel a little dejected and hurt when Shirou did that, but the few times that Ren did take charge, had silenced her complaints. Ren was a genius and his tactical solutions to the battle scenarios that they had pulled from the archives had been unconventional but much more effective than the actual battle plans that were drawn.

Pyrrha was impressed with how he had taken charge like that earlier on as well, he had been calm, collected and had not been afraid to challenge Shirou's authority when his strategy was the wrong one.

It was also a sign of trust between the two men that allowed Ren to interrupt so, Pyrrha could not imagine Ren doing that if Ruby or Weiss was in charge after all.

'Thanks, I'll try to get Shirou to relax a little too... Want to start with the report? If we finish it now before Nora comes back, we could turn it in early tomorrow and take the rest of the day off?'

Pyrrha felt a little bad when she had to call Nora out in that fashion, but it was true that their friend wasn't the best in sitting down, and well, dealing with homework or any kind of paper work for that matter. With the two of them working on it – they had a good chance to finish it quicker as well.

'Might as well. Let's.'

Ren agreed and he headed over to Pyrrha who grinned and pulled out her scroll to start working on it.

* * *

'I'm surprised to see you here, Ruby.'

Ruby jumped a little when she heard the sound of Shirou calling out to her in one of the balcony overlooking Beacon's grounds. With him was Nora who smiled and waved at her excitedly. The two of them looked like they had gone through the wringer and Ruby smiled while commenting on their workout.

'You team's workout is brutal, you know that? The only one who might match you two is Yang when she was at Signal. Don't give her any more ideas, please.'

Ruby laughed when Nora seemed interested in that but her mood turned a little sombre when Shirou asked her why she was here.

'You should be with your team, why are you out here alone? Here to enjoy the scenery?'

'Hmm... I just wanted to be alone for a bit, you know, after what happened earlier, I think I can ask for a bit of privacy.'

Ruby replied, not mad, nor sniping at her friends but just wanting to get some privacy and some alone time.

'Do the others know you are out here?'

'Ah, yes, I told Blake I wanted to take a walk outside. Don't worry, I'll be heading back soon, Shirou. The two of you should go take a bath now. I think Nora can use ours if the rest are done with it.'

Ruby replied softly, almost like a dismissal and Shirou took the hint, preparing to go when Nora spoke up instead.

'You look sad, Ruby, just like how Shirou looked like earlier. Is something wrong?'

Nora's question caught Ruby off-guard and the red head stared at her for moment before Shirou cleared his throat.

'Nora...'

He tried to warn the girl about intruding in another's business but she just skipped to stand beside Ruby before giving her a hug.

'If you're sad, we can talk about it! That's how I made Shirou feel better just now, right?'

When Shirou refused to reply, only to look to the side Ruby knew that Nora was speaking the truth and the red head closed her eyes before sighing. Looks like she won't be having any good dreams tonight after all if she was going to talk about _it_.

'… I remembered how I was first forced to kill a Grimm a long time ago.'

Ruby admitted, it was close enough to the truth for it to be right after all.

'Your first kill?'

Shirou seemed surprised as he rubbed his chin. Was he surprised that she was showing signs of weakness like that? All students who attended Signal or any other combat academy had mandatory psychological tests and checks by psychiatrists to monitor their mental state every few months. Being a huntsmen or a huntress wasn't easy, killing was definitely not easy and at times it gets... to people. Battles were stressful and it was easy to get desensitized to all the death and destruction that they were facing in their quests to be Huntsmen/Huntresses. Ruby was trained from a young age to fight, the world was violent place, and if you didn't learn fight back, you would die.

So she should be used to it – but no one _should_.

'Yes, it was when I was around six years old. I had to kill a Grimm.'

Ruby's statement was blunt, to the point and gave absolutely no information on how it could affect her. It reminded Shirou of Ren actually and when dealing with Ren, Shirou found it best to just leave it to Nora.

'Okay, so what happened? Did you kill a big Grimm? A small one? How did you kill it? With Crescent Rose? Did anyone see it? Why did you have to kill it?'

Nora's bombardment of questions left Ruby a little overwhelmed while Shirou suppressed the urge to smirk, yes, that was why Ren could not deal with Nora – the girl could never take the hint to leave the other person alone. It was both good and bad, in this case – it was all good.

'W-Well, that's a lot of questions.'

Ruby tried to buy for time as Nora stepped closer and closer to her, the energetic girl jumping on her heels while beaming at her. It would be cute, if the topic was not about Ruby's first kill. Shirou remembered his first kill, it didn't haunt him as much as he thought it would. It was... justifiable, in fact he might even say he enjoyed it.

'You can answer them slowly!'

Nora replied cheerfully while cutting Ruby's escape route beautifully. Ruby looked trapped and she shot a desperate look to Shirou to get her out of this situation. Sadly for Ruby however, Shirou was interested in knowing more about the other team leader and with a betrayed look, Ruby answered Nora's question, well she answered one of them

'The Grimm was about to attack my family. So I... had to kill it.'

That certainly answered the question on why Ruby _had_ to kill the Grimm, but that did not explain why she was so hung up over it, something which Nora asked immediately after Ruby's reply.

'So you are sad because you have to kill the Grimm? Is that why you are upset today? That you have to kill so many Grimm?'

Feeling compassion about the Grimm was unheard of, the Grimm attacked _them._ They did not know why exactly, but the Grimms attacked humans without rhyme, or reason. If they could, and if they saw them, they would not hesitate to attack humans even if they might get killed in the process.

'That's not it, I don't regret killing Grimm, or killing on that day... but... it's that other people died that day too... like today, that's why...'

'So the two of you are sad for the same reason.'

Ruby stared at Nora in confusion while Shirou ran a hand down his face. He had not expected that and when he opened his eyes again to see Ruby pointing at him incredulously, Shirou just gave a lop-sided grin without saying anything more.

'Pardon me, Nora?'

'You are sad because people died today, right?'

'… I guess so, people dying for any reason is sad, right?'

Ruby asked hesitantly as she did not wish to trigger the land mine that had Shirou showed his displeasure at Miss Goodwitch earlier on that day. She did feel sad for the people who died, but Shirou was _angry_, that was the big difference.

'Ah, then Shirou and Ruby are sad for the different reasons. Shirou was sad because he couldn't protect them – Ruby is sad because people died!'

Nora gave an understanding nod before continuing.

'Nora thinks that the two of you are right to be sad, but does talking about it make it feel better?'

Ruby paused before giving a smile back while nodding.

'Yes, it does... a little anyway, It's silly, but I wanted to just remember... why I train and fight so hard.'

Nora seemed confused at that but Shirou understood as he exhaled audibly before scratching his head and speaking out loud.

'That's not a bad idea, Ruby... sometimes, after a long battle – you might see things that will change what you thought was right, or good. We should leave her alone for a bit, Nora.'

Shirou insisted this time and after wishing Ruby goodnight, the two members of Team SNPR left Ruby to her own thoughts.

The younger girl gave a sigh before closing her eyes, letting her memories return her to that time, where everything changed for her.

* * *

'You got a message on your scroll while you were out, Shirou!'

Shirou nodded in confusion as he stepped out of the bathroom. Just like how Ruby had suggested, Nora had went straight to team RWBY's room to borrow the bathroom after grabbing a change of clothes. Their other two teammates were working on the report to be handed in tomorrow but when Shirou offered his help, the two of them just told him to bathe first.

He didn't smell that bad, did he?

'Did you see the name of the person who sent it?'

'Mm... I think it said it was from Tiger, sorry I didn't mean to pry.'

Pyrrha laughed nervously while Shirou just brushed it off, she was just trying to help after all. But Taiga, why was she calling him at night?

Picking his scroll up, Shirou took one look at the message that she had sent before he groaned.

'What's wrong, Shirou?'

'… We got the day off tomorrow, right?'

'Yes, we just need to hand in the report, we're almost done with it, so we have the whole day for ourselves, why?'

'… I need to drop by Vale tomorrow.'

'Oh? I'm not sure if we're allowed to do that – but what's wrong?'

Pyrrha looked concerned and Shirou wasn't sure how to feel about it, but he was certainly concerned.

'Some of my childhood friends are visiting...'

Shirou scratched his head while wondering what to do about the message that Taiga had just sent.

_'Shirou, the Tohsaka sisters would be visiting Vale tomorrow! They want to meet you, so don't try to get out of this one, okay? - Love Taiga'_

* * *

_**Side Story: This is a sequence that is canon to PooL - and to give readers an insight on the differences and our interpretation of the RWBY mechanics and universe. So it's all canon, at least in this AU.**_

* * *

Tohsaka Sakura, the younger sister of the infamous Tohsaka sisters gave a sigh as she watched her older sister, Tohsaka Rin, smile to herself as she hung her phone up. Sakura knew that Rin was on the phone earlier with one of her family's greatest benefactors – the Fujimura Head – Fujimura Taiga herself.

The two families had been close, as their parents were good friends with the Fujimura family before. She remembered that it was due to the Tohsaka family being one of the first to be willing to sell Dust supplies to the militia of Vale before their tremendous victory in eradicating of a whole nest of Grimm just outside of Vale. Their success and takeover of that nest to home their operations was what gave them their title of defenders of Vale.

Militia setups weren't that uncommon, but it was uncommon for the Militia to be the strongest military force in Vale after Beacon Academy of course. The local government, in a show of good faith towards the achievements of the Militia – had diverted their funds from the security upkeep to focus on investing in infrastructure and building up of Vale. Over the past decade, Vale has been transformed into a major city with everything that one would wish for.

The price of that development was that it was getting pricier to live in the city due to inflation, but that was her older sister's job – not hers.

'So would Ms Taiga agree to pass the message along? It has been so long since we've seen Shirou after all, she did agree right?'

Sakura asked as she sat down beside her sister in the posh hotel that they were staying in. Even if her older sister was always obsessed about money, she was more obsessed about image. Sakura would be happier with a smaller room, but Rin was always insistent on the image that the two sisters projected and would do anything to maintain it, even if it means spending more than she had to. But like she said before, Rin was the one with the strings to the moneypurse.

'Yep – Taiga will tell Shirou and he's not going to get out of this one. That blockhead, why would I need to be the one to initiate contact. He should be the one to look for us...'

Rin huffed as she crossed her arms before plopping back on the comfortable and fluffy bed that the hotel has. This suite was a steal considering the amenities and the furnishing – she'd be able to enjoy her stay here in style.

'Mm... I guess so – Did you do something bad to Shirou the last time we met? I know he was training for the last few weeks before he enrolled... but it's not like him to just stop replying our mails to him.'

Rin sat up slowly as she thought about what she had done the last time she met with Shirou and she blushed while turning to the side. Sakura, knowing full well what her older sister could do in a fit of embarrassed rage simply sighed and rubbed her forehead.

'You did something to him, didn't you?'

Sakura asked quietly as she watched her sister burn up, not literally as all the blood rushed to the back of her neck to make her face a healthy tomato red in color. Shirou really was dense for him not to pick up on what both of them felt for him.

But Sakura knew that one of the biggest reasons for them not being able to tell him how they feel was due to the differences in their lifestyle.

The Tohsaka's were the merchants, the researchers as well as the historians by trade. The latter was due to their constant trading and exchanges of collateral for their products. There would always be a demand for dust – a crystallization that could either be mined from the earth or collected from the Grimm when they were sold.

The Tohsaka's were also one of the supporters of the Grimm bounty system that allowed the dust that was left behind by Grimm when their bodies faded to nothing.

Why the bodies of Grimm disappeared like that had always been a mystery, but from how the Grimm population never seemed to decrease, it was theorized that the Grimm's physical bodies were either powered by dust similar to how their weapons would do, or that they were _made_ of dust in the first place.

When slain, they were unable to make use of the dust and therefore fell apart. Did that mean that the Grimm were capable of producing dust then?

Further research, very dangerous research done a couple of hundred years prior, debunked that idea. The fact that it was almost impossible to tame and 'farm' Grimm due to their aggressive nature towards all humans.

Grimm were beings that would attack humans, no questions asked. It was as if their whole lives, if one could be called that – was to kill humans. It has been that way since they first appeared a couple of centuries ago.

Dust collected from the Grimm would be evaluated on their quality as well as elements before they were redistributed. Dust that was collected from the Grimm were generally of higher quality than that of the Dust that was mined – but there were still exceptions to that rule. Once in a while, mines would produce very high quality Dust as well.

Sakura wasn't the most knowledgeable in the subject, but Rin had been adamant in sharing her findings as the head of the Tohsaka Family. Her older sister had been raised to take over the business and as such was schooled in all the information and facts of Dust and the history of Grimm.

In a way, the Tohsaka was linked to the Grimm and their lives revolved around them. The Grimm supplied them with their livelihood – and if not for the deal brokered with the Schnee – they would be totally dependent on them. The trade of Grimm bounties together with the distribution of the Dust took up the majority of the Tohsaka family's processes and earned them the most profits.

Even if the Grimm were the one to kill their parents, they were still relying on their family's murderers to live in this harsh world. How... sad.

The origin of the Grimm themselves had been disputed throughout history it self. The sad fact was that humans were almost totally annihilated when the first Grimm appeared. They appeared in such a great number with seemingly no reason or pattern at all and started killing _everyone_ near their vicinity. It was a minor miracle that the humans were able to survive the massacre at all, much less survive up till now.

The ancient texts that the Tohsaska family had gathered had spoke of the same history – that the Grimm appeared suddenly, out of the blue, but there were a few records that wrote of a ritual being performed.

One that caused the Grimm to appear in the first place, the same texts also wrote about how Grimm were formed from humans and not from nothing as previously established.

A ritual would have to be performed to change humans to Grimm – though the Tohsaka did not know _why_ they did that – it was apparently considered a holy ritual before it was changed to create Grimm.

The usage and development of Dust by humans to defeat Grimm was the turn of the tide for humans. With the power of Dust, which was, ironically, formed from the Grimm as well – they were able to rebuild and develop.

The Grimm from then on had also been called God's Curse, a darkness that was born to punish humans for defiling the Gods themselves – it could be linked to the sacred ritual that they had performed to cause the Grimm to appear. Who knows really? The truth has been distorted and retold so many times that the truth was beyond their reach right now.

Right now, Sakura had to cool her sister down – and hope that her temper doesn't upset Shirou too much again.

'Well you obviously did something wrong if you're keeping quiet like that, sis...'


	16. Chapter 15 & 16

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 15 +16  
_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: My apologies for the delay - XoreandoX has been going to hell and back with his beta and checking of consistencies with PooL canon - as for me, I'm gaming and taking a break, but there's plenty more from where the idea came from.**

**This chapter is unique - as to make up for not updating per the usual pace - we've released chapter 15+16 together in one package. Keep those reviews coming! Really look forward to reading it - this 2 chapters was a breeze and enjoyable to write - thank you, _Catherine_, for your zany ideas.**

**Thank you, my awesome betas: _bowpurity &amp; Nephirim!_**

**_BTW and to clarify: Crocea Mors dialog is like this:_ Hi there - I'm Crocea Mors!**

* * *

_XoreandoX: Well I'm sure a few of you have been wondering a bit before about what happened with Jaune and why Shirou has Crocea Mors instead of Taiga, if Shirou replaced him, so I'll unveil that little bit of back story here for those who are curious. _  
_Jaune is both Shirou's and Taiga's cousin through their mutual great-grandfather (Not the one who owned Crocea Mors). Since Taiga has shown to be very skilled in combat, the Fujimuras inherited Crocea Mors instead of the Arcs when it came time for the heirloom to be passed on. Of course given Taiga's preference for two-handed swords she used Crocea Mors sparingly and mostly in training when practicing her aura. As a result when both Jaune and Shirou wanted to attend Beacon, and despite both having never attended any combat schools (Such as Signal) in the past. Taiga saw fit to test both of them in combat before she would give them her blessing to go given the mortality rate of Huntsmen, as you can no doubt see, only one person passed. Given his success, Shirou is now the wielder of the family heirloom, and Jaune is now in boot camp with Taiga until he is deemed able to attend Beacon._

_.._

_Now with that out of the way, the only other comment I have about this chapter is the relationship with Shirou and the Tohsaka Sisters. Their relationship together is different than it is in the Nasuverse, so don't expect them to respond to Shirou like they might in a standard Fate/Stay Night fic. So with that out of the way, enjoy the chapter, and for those authors out there, Keep on Writing._

* * *

..

'Pancakes... huh? I'm getting sick of this.'

Blake commented while stabbing viciously into a pancake that had never done anything to harm her in it's short life. Ruby seemed amused by that gesture but since she loved pancakes, she was also a little annoyed as well.

'It is certainly not part of a healthy breakfast, that much is true.' Pyrrha commented while Yang rolled her eyes at the two of them. Yang loved pancakes, so did Nora, who could _dislike_ pancakes? The two of them apparently and that brought up the question that Yang was dying to ask.

'Why would you be sick of pancakes anyway? They are good, they are delicious and they are _fluffy_, do you know how _hard_ it is to keep pancakes fluffy?'

'Pancakes have absolutely no nutritional value at all, a proper breakfast gives energy for the rest of the day, especially so when it is the first meal after a night's sleep.' Blake snapped back and when Pyrrha nodded in agreement, the two of them exchanged another high five and scooted closer to sit closer to each other.

'Health nuts.'

Yang grumbled as she couldn't come up with a good answer to answer Blake's claims. They had a point after all.

'And strawberry jam is not a substitute for fruits, Ruby. You should have a balanced diet.'

Blake scowled at Ruby who was coating her pancake with a guilty look.

'But...'

'No buts, you will drink at least a cup of juice a day, now go.'

Blake pointed a finger at the dispenser and the smaller girl pouted at her.

'Yes, mooom~'

The entire table snickered when Blake blushed a little, but the raven-haired girl paid it no heed. The last member of RWBY, Weiss was picking up a platter of fruits for the table together with Shirou and when she returned, looked confused at how everyone the table was grabbing the fruit with gusto and urgency.

'Well now, I did not expect our eating habits to change so drastically... what happened?'

'I said that we'll need to eat more as we'll be training extra hard today. Then mom over there - '

Blake scowled while Yang grinned as she continued gleefully.

'Said that we are not eating healthily enough. Give me double servings, no, triple servings of pancakes and I'll flatten an army for you!'

Yang boasted while slamming a fist into her palm. However the gusto was deflated when Shirou disagreed and openly supported Blake.

'Blake's right, if you are planning to train hard, just eating pancakes won't be enough. Eating grains and more energy rich food would be better. Fruits... although healthy, wouldn't provide much energy either. But a balanced diet is still important.'

Shirou corrected Blake while smiling at the rest who were gathered at the table, then the smile got a little strained as Velvet wasn't with them today.

'So... any news about Velvet?'

They didn't know the night before, but there were several students that were attacked while trying to reach Beacon to gather reinforcements, and among them was Velvet. It's times like this that made Shirou frustrated and wondering what the scroll was used for anyway. They had not been able to use theirs as they were deep in the forest and had no choice but to make the trek on foot – surely if they knew they would be out on a field trip in dangerous territory they would have arranged for ways to contact the school in case of emergencies?

It was what Shirou would have done, heck, anyone would have done.

Velvet was currently warded in the intensive care unit, she was the only survivor of her team and that really cut deeply into Shirou. Another traumatic incident for the gentle girl that he did not want her to experience. There was the chance that Velvet would never be fit for active duty even with aura healing, and this time he could truly blame the school for this. If Velvet could not wake up, she could not heal herself... and aura healing by others might cause her healing to be incomplete – risking her even more.

'No, I'm sorry, Shirou.'

Ruby replied for the group and just like that, the entire mood darkened for a few moments till Weiss cleared her throat and asked the other team what they were going to do today.

'We were thinking of going through some training exercises after turning in the report later on.'

Weiss nodded to her team and she gave a small sigh when Yang gave them all a cheesy thumbs up. With Yang taking the lead of the training exercise, they were going to be worked to the bone. Yesterday's performance reminded Weiss that she did need the training if she wished to be stronger, so she would just have to take it on like a Schnee, head on with no regrets.

'Will you be joining us?'

Weiss asked politely to the other team, the two teams had a habit of training together for the most part – barring times where they had to do teamwork training. It had nothing to do with the well known saying, that misery loves company and all that. It really had nothing to do with that.

However if Weiss was aware of how hard Shirou and Nora trained in the evening, or even joined them – she would be singing a different tune.

Shirou considered for a moment before asking his team.

'Will the three of you be joining them?'

Everyone was surprised to hear that Shirou was not going to be with his team today, but in retrospect it shouldn't be too much of a surprise. At times Ren and Nora would excuse themselves to train on their own and at times Yang would declare a nights out and drag Weiss with her out to Vale to have dinner together.

'I'm not, I'm going with you, Shirou.'

Pyrrha sounded cross about Shirou's decision and the boy seemed taken aback as he scratched the back of his head. That was not something he expected from his partner.

'W-Wait, I don't think it's a good idea.'

Shirou tried to persuade Pyrrha but was interrupted when Yang asked where Shirou was going.

'Are you two going on a date together? Or a double date? Or a matchmaking session, hmm? You dog, you!'

Yang cackled but her cackling stopped when Pyrrha replied.

'Shirou's childhood friends are in town and they wish to meet up with him, and I want to meet them. I think it'll be good for a partner to know more about their partner's friends, right?'

Pyrrha smiled smugly when Shirou couldn't deny that as he gave a small sigh.

'But those two... I haven't seen them in a few years, it'll be awkward...'

'Oh please, it's not like I'm pretending to be your girlfriend or anything. It'll be fine! Don't tell me they have a crush on you?'

Pyrrha teased while the entire table froze in shock, did she just reveal that Shirou's childhood friends were girls, and there were two of them to boot?

..

**'Oh, sisters? I didn't know you have that in you, darling.'**

Shirou winced in annoyance when the teasing voice of Crocea Mors appeared in his mind and he hissed at her to keep quiet.

**'I didn't even use my semblance – so how...'**

**'Mm, that's for me to know, and for you to find out, darling~ You should pay attention to the conversation now~ That blonde looks like she's about to jump you, darling~'**

Shirou blinked to find that Crocea Mors was right, Yang was looking the most stunned of the group, although he noted that Blake seemed strangely disappointed as well for some reason.

**'How quaint, you're as naïve as always, or are you in denial, darling?'**

**'Just let me concentrate, woman!'**

Shirou snapped mentally as he tried his best to keep track of the conversation that he had been left out of the loop for that precious few seconds. All the girls were talking at once and he noted with dismay that many of them were talking amongst themselves, gossiping perhaps.

'Pyrrha... what did I tell you about this?'

Shirou groaned to his partner but the redhead was not embarrassed at all for spilling the beans on his personal life out like that.

'Well I wasn't going to, but then you wouldn't even let me go. We are partners, Shirou, partners don't do that to each other.'

'I said that you could meet _after _I met them first.'

'And risk them going off before I could so, no way, Shirou! When my friends come by, I intend to bring you along with me to meet them.'

'That's not the point, Pyrrha.'

Shirou groaned again as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Pyrrha was making this all so awkward right now.

'So are we going to meet them too, Shirou?'

Nora asked excitedly while Ren seemed intrigued as well, this did not look good for him.

'If he allows us to.'

Ren offered diplomatically but he definitely did look interested as well, this meant that he won't be stopping Nora from pestering him to let her go with him. Great...

'I want to go, I want to go too!'

Yang waved her hands excitedly in the air while Weiss chastised her for being rude, and gathering the attention of everyone in the school canteen.

'Yang, be more dignified, that is not the proper way to ask for an invitation.'

From the look in Weiss's eyes, she was interested in going too, double damn. Why would _she_ be interested in meeting Rin and Sakura in the first place?

'Shirou's friends huh... it'll be nice if we can get along.'

Ruby was smiling thoughtfully as she spoke with Blake, speaking like it was a foregone conclusion that she would be accompanying them. Ever the straight face and calm individual, Shirou's hope that Blake would help him was dashed when Blake nodded in agreement. Did they just make his decision for him? Really?

'W-Wait, everyone – what about your training session?'

Shirou tried to stop them by reminding them of team RWBY's plans but was cut off when Yang easily dismissed it.

'Oh we can do that later, meeting your friends is much _more_ important.'

'What about your report? I have to meet them right after breakfast so - '

'We can hand it in in the afternoon before we start training, there isn't really a deadline for it.'

Weiss reassured Shirou, but he was less than reassured by the way Weiss smiled challengingly at him. But he was not giving it up without a fight, not with this issue.

'I-I'll have to check with them, they might not be -'

As if to damn him, his scroll started vibrating, signalling an incoming call. Before Shirou could excuse himself, Pyrrha swiped it off him, smirked at how it was on the line and answered it while tapping on the video conference option.

Shirou groaned when the screen showed the familiar sight of the black haired, twin-tailed girl that he knew all so well.

'What took you so long, Shirou - , you aren't Shirou... who are you?'

Tohsaka Rin called out suspiciously while Pyrrha just grinned back at the the scroll.

'Hello! I'm Pyrrha Nikos, Shirou's teammate, Shirou's right here.'

Pyrrha pulled Shirou into the picture to look at the scowling girl and he gave a small wave in reply.

'Hey -'

'Don't just hey me, Shirou, you don't return my calls and when you do pick up, it's by your partner? What the hell is wrong with you? Didn't I tell you to not cause your team mates any trouble?!'

Rin literally screeched over the phone while the rest of the table snickered as they could hear her. Shirou noted with a bit of dismay at how Ren was turned away, no doubt laughing to himself while the other girls just looked terribly amused.

'It is no trouble, may I know your name? Shirou just told me that he was meeting you and your sister later in Vale, right?'

Rin flicked her hair behind her shoulders as she composed herself. The now very familiar image of a school idol facade plastered over her face as she smiled back to Pyrrha.

'Of course, where is my manners. I am Tohsaka Rin, nice to meet you, Miss Nikos. And to answer your question – yes, I am meeting Shirou later on in Vale with my sister.'

Rin did not question why Pyrrha wanted to know that, but Shirou knew she was already thinking of what other questions Pyrrha would ask.

'Well I was wondering if I could come along, me and a couple of Shirou's friends. Like his team mates and the other team who we team up with at Beacon.'

Pyrrha gave Rin a winning smile that made Shirou sweat – Rin would either flat out reject or accept it depending on what she thought Pyrrha's motive was. Especially, when Pyrrha didn't state her objectives.

But as everyone had been hanging on to the conversation, the sudden silence between them was enough to make _Yang_ interject. Of all people, it had to be Yang and Shirou flinched– this could not bode well.

..

'Yo! I'm Yang Xiao Long! Nice to meet you too!'

Yang charged into the conversation by shoving Shirou out of the way, and Pyrrha winced when she saw the look of shock from Rin. That certainly would leave a bad impression but surprisingly, Rin started laughing instead.

'Pfft! Did you just – no, you just pushed him out of the way? Is he okay?'

Rin suddenly calmed down as she looked concerned. It was Pyrrha's turned to be annoyed as Yang grabbed Shirou's scroll and positioned it so Rin could see Shirou rubbing his head, while laying down across Weiss' lap as the heiress looked scandalized.

'He's fine, and there's Weiss, say Hi to Rin, Weiss!'

Weiss looked trapped, and with Shirou lying on her lap and showing very little signs of getting off, she felt trapped. However a Schnee was not going to lose to a blonde bimbo like that and she smoothed her features to give a polite smile back to Shirou's friend.

'Hi there, My name is Weiss -'

'And that's enough, we're dying to meet you -'

'YANG!'

Yang jerked the tablet away before Weiss could give her introductions. The blonde was teasing Weiss, definitely teasing her as there was a devilish grin on her face when she spoke with Rin again. Judging from the look of shock before Rin laughed again, slapping her knees in her amusement, Yang might have finally found a chink in Shirou's armour. Or at least, a way for her to find out more about Shirou through an indirect means.

'Yang!'

A very upset Weiss pushed Shirou off of her lap to confront the crazy blonde who danced out of the way. Before Yang could complicate the situation more, the scroll was snatched away by Nora, the energetic girl waving to Rin while introducing herself.

'I'm Nora! Nice to meet you, Rin! I'm Shirou's teammate! And this is Ren!'

Nora shoved Shirou's scroll at the surprised Ren, who gave a nod to Rin before Nora pulled it away to shove it at Blake, who looked terribly surprised at being thrown into the spotlight.

'And who might you be?' Rin asked with a smirk that showed that Shirou's friend was at least enjoying this and the raven haired girl gave a small nod while introducing herself.

'Blake Belladonna, we are fellow classmates, we have been in his care.'

Surprisingly Nora did not pull away and that allowed Blake to hear Rin chuckle lightly.

'I'll bet, he's always the boy scout. Please look out for him -'

Before Rin could finish, Nora had pushed it towards Ruby, who seemed resigned but flashed Rin a nervous smile as she too was put in the spot light.

'Ruby Rose, we're... fellow team leaders... I look forward to meeting you later, if you'll let us.'

Ruby asked politely, the only person to do so and everyone, Nora excluded waited for Rin's answer.

'Sure, it'll be good for Sakura to know what kind of people that idiot hangs out with... but so many girls, huh?'

Rin raised an eyebrow while scrutinizing Ruby, causing the redhead to sweat uncomfortably before Rin winked at her.

'We'll be waiting at the interchange in an hour's time, just tell Shirou to give us a call when you guys get here. See you in a bit.'

With that, Rin hung up his phone and the plans for Team RWBY and SNPR were decided.

..

**'Looks like this will be an interesting day, darling~'**

**'… Oh just... just keep quiet.'**

Shirou, who had his hands buried into his hands in despair and resentment, scowled at Nora when she returned the scroll back to him. He couldn't stay too mad at them though for Nora did look very excited to meet Rin and Sakura. Guess there was worse things that could happen.

**'And the fur shall start flying in a bit, I am looking forward to it – darling~'**

Shirou's despair worsened when he realized that Crocea Mors would _never_ let him hear the end of this.

**'You bet I wouldn't, how could you leave out such a juicy titbit?'**

**'The last I saw them, I didn't have you, Crocea Mors, and you didn't ask. And no – I'm not answering anything.'**

**'Phooey – you have have no sense of fun, darling~'**

* * *

..

Emiya Shirou wondered what in the world did he do to deserve this. By this, he meant having Team RWBY and Team SNPR together with him as they took the transport to Vale to meet up with his two closest friends.

Rin and Sakura. Just thinking about their names made him smile, it had been a long time since he had met those two. Sakura especially and he looked forward to meeting them – he wasn't avoiding them at all, but their last meeting had been significantly awkward.

**'Is Shirou remembering the day of passions that he had with those two? I never thought you would have that in you, darling~ With what you have, perhaps the blond wasn't that wrong about how you pack it in below you, darling?'**

Crocea Mors was probably not helping the situation and Shirou had to ask, how could she start talking to him all of a sudden.

'**A secret darling~ That's a secret – and if I told you, you'll just stop me from doing it.'**

**'And that's all I need to know for now.'**

Shirou deadpanned back while leaving Crocea Mors stuttering and flabbergasted. Simply knowing that he _could_ stop it was a minor victory of sorts.

'**You **_**need**_** me, Shirou, you really do. How else would you survive in a world where all the women want a piece of you? The blonde will jump you soon, and the black one would too if she got the chance. The white one, she's playing hard to get. Your partner, she's just waiting for you to invite her to your bed.'**

Shirou kept stoic and his mind pure, the last thing he needed was for Crocea Mors to give him the image of the girls doing _that_ to him -

'**ARGH! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?! Wait, how did you do that?!'**

**'And you're welcome, darling~ '**

The rest definitely noticed Shirou clutching his head desperately in frustration but none of them mentioned it to him after the entire fiasco over breakfast had died down.

The only one that did not feel slightly guilty that they had just invited themselves was Yang, and the blonde gave Shirou a careful look before taking a step back.

'It's not _my_ fault this time.'

She couldn't get that reaction from him even on her best days, whatever was bothering him was not _her_ fault. But damn if she was not going to figure out _how_ she could make him react like that.

* * *

'So where are the two of them, huh?'

Yang asked excitedly. beside her, Nora was jumping up and down in excitement while the other members of RWBY and SNPR were much more reserved.

Shirou too was feeling a bit of nerves at meeting the two girls but any nervousness disappeared when he heard a voice call out his name.

'Ah, sister, there he is! Shirou! Shirou, over here!'

Her voice struggling to reach the volume over the noise of the crowd, Tohsaka Sakura waved excitedly at him. Despite the nervousness, Shirou gave her a smile as he waved back to her. However Sakura did not move towards them due to her sister, Tohsaka Rin, who stubbornly refused to move from her spot while holding Sakura back.

The younger sister between the two, Tohsaka Sakura had her black hair untied and flowing freely down on her back. Besides that obvious difference, Sakura lacked the fierce and independent look that Rin has. Sakura on the other hand radiated kindness and warmth, something which relieved Shirou as he greeted the two of them.

'Yo.'

'It's nice to see you again, Shirou.'

Sakura replied with a happy smile that turned sheepish when Rin flicked one of her twin-tails behind her shoulder as a greeting.

'Hmph, be glad that Sakura wanted to wait for you here, if not for her we'd be waiting at the hotel by now.'

Rin smirked but then blushed when Sakura teased her sister while pushing Rin forward.

'Rin was the one who wanted to come early, Shirou, and she was the one who kept saying: 'Just one more and we're leaving' for the last three trips, Shirou.'

Sakura giggled while Rin spluttered in outrage at her sister, whirling back to berate Sakura while Shirou sighed.

'It's been a long time, I'm glad the two of you are fine.'

* * *

'There's two of them?!'

Yang whispered loudly to Ruby while pointing at Weiss and Rin, causing her sister to roll her eyes at her.

'Yang, you're being overly dramatic.'

'Well the two of them definitely have issues with letting their hair down, and they both try and boss Shirou around too! For all we know, she uses specially refined Dust like Weiss as well!'

Yang continued to gossip while the three of them caught up by themselves, leaving Team RWBY and SNPR a little awkward. The three of them were obviously very close and Ruby wondered if Shirou's team knew about their friendship before today. Probably not, but that didn't mean that they couldn't start to know more about Shirou now, right?

'Maybe, but you shouldn't tease them about it. You have a crush on Shirou too, don't you, Yang?'

Ruby tried to tease, but she failed when Yang suddenly turned solemn before she grinned.

'Got you there for a moment, didn't I, sister? Nah, I'm not interested in Shirou in _that_ way.'

Yang grinned, but Ruby saw something different in her sister's eyes that she did not recognize. What did she mean?

* * *

'I am Tohsaka Sakura, it is nice to meet all of you, and thank you for taking care of Shirou up till now.'

Sakura bowed to Team RWBY and Team SNPR before sitting down beside Shirou. Sakura had been clinging on to Shirou ever since they met and Shirou, being Shirou, had not rejected her advances in any way. Still his team knew that this wasn't just Shirou being nice, Shirou genuinely didn't mind Sakura being so affectionate with him and was simply enjoying her company.

Rin on the other hand, was having difficulty speaking to Shirou as she would snipe at his habits every time he opened his mouth. It was enough to cause some of the girls from the two teams to wonder how did they _ever_ became friends, much less seeing how Shirou could tolerate her.

'No no, it's Shirou who has always been taking care of us.'

Pyrrha replied while shaking her head and everyone else chimed in together in agreement.

Rin certainly didn't believe so as she gave a small snort before Sakura elbowed her with a small pout that made Rin settle down. All of them were currently seated in a cafe near the interchange to allow Shirou to catch up with the two.

The two girls that had been part of Shirou's life before coming to Beacon looked chagrined to find out that it was true that Shirou had managed to get not just befriend one girl, in his new life at Beacon.

'Well I did wonder why Shirou skipped out on the details when he started at Beacon. I guess it was to hide you girls from us. I didn't know you were such a ladies' man, Shirou.'

Rin said with a scowl on her face, but Yang poured oil on the flames to the conversation when she added that Shirou was kind of a hero in Beacon as well.

'He's got plenty more where that came from, you can say that he's surrounded by fan girls, and boys most of the time.'

Granted the situation rarely developed to that level after Pyrrha and Shirou had told them _not_ to do so, but the Faunus community in Beacon still held Shirou in high regards.

'Oh, this I _got_ to hear.'

Rin grinned and she leaned forward while Yang recounted the tale for the two of them to listen. Shirou realized a little too late that Yang was trouble, she was getting along too well with Rin for his liking. Thus he was _very _thankful for Weiss who stepped in after Yang finished the story.

'Do not tease Shirou for that, Miss Rin, Shirou stood up against a cowardly act of bullying, it is something to be praised... the fact that he has gain a following due to that however, is entirely his fault.'

Shirou gave Weiss a betrayed look but the heiress simply gave him a haughty smile that made Rin narrow her eyes before smiling slightly.

'Well at least I know that the block head is in good hands.' Rin sighed while stirring the cup of coffee that she was enjoying before eyeing Weiss again. 'You're the heiress of the Schnee Group, aren't you, Miss Weiss?'

Weiss simply nodded in reply, expecting Rin to continue her sentence but the other girl simply smiled and shook her head.

'Is there something wrong, Miss Rin?'

'No, not really, I was just surprised a heiress like you would be friends with Shirou, he isn't really seem like the type to hang out with the higher echelons of society after all.'

Rin smirked but then spluttered when Weiss informed her that Shirou was in fact well versed in the mannerisms of the so-called 'higher echelon' of society.

'You've got to be kidding me!'

This of course led to the two of them started on their own little conversation, much to the other's amusement.

..

'So how did the two of you meet Shirou?'

Pyrrha asked Sakura, who pursed her lips before explaining to her.

'I guess all of you know that Shirou was adopted into the Fujimura family right? That is because his parents died at a young age due to a Grimm attack.'

Sakura was surprised however when she saw that those who were listening to the conversation winced at that revelation.

'They, didn't know? Shirou...'

'I didn't think it was necessary to tell them...'

Shirou, who was scratching his head sheepishly looked alarmed when Sakura narrowed her eyes. The sight of the gentle girl being so aggressive startled Shirou and the Knight of Beacon quickly apologized to Sakura. In the background those who were listening exchanged looks of confusion as they listened. This was a new story, they did not know that Shirou had went through such a childhood. Especially for Ruby, the leader of team RWBY had her mouth and eyes wide open in shock at the revelation.

'I won't do that again! I promise, just forgive me, Sakura... I didn't want them to treat me differently if they knew about what happened.'

Shirou's explanation seem to calm Sakura down but the younger girl still gave Shirou a disappointed look before she continued her story.

'Well, like I said, Shirou's family was killed by Grimm when he was in a young age and he was adopted by the Fujimura family. I'm sure you've heard of the Fujimura Taiga?'

'Yes, she is the commander of the militia of Vale, the famed Tiger of Vale.'

Pyrrha answered and Sakura gave her a smile in acknowledgement before continuing her story.

'Our family was a small group of travellers. We travel from town to town to conduct our business, and that year we had our family's store set up in the militia's campgrounds, that's how we met each other. We were the only kids in the camp and so we became friends.' Sakura explained.

The others gave nods of understanding, if they were the only kids around, it was natural for them to play together.

'But you said your family was a bunch of travellers, but Shirou said that you were childhood friends?'

Blake asked in confusion and Sakura nodded before explaining.

'I guess it was a stroke of good luck? We were travellers yes, but we needed to have some schooling as well. Our father decided to leave the two of us under the care of the militia while we attended school in Vale. As luck would have it, Ms. Fujimura enrolled us together to be in the same class.' Sakura blushed when Shirou remarked that it was difficult for Sakura during their first year together.

'Shirou, … I-I thought I told you not to mention that.' Sakura pouted at him and Shirou gave a light hearted laugh while shrugging.

'The two of you get along very well indeed.'

Pyrrha noted with a small smile that caused Sakura to blush even more while Shirou reached out to pet the younger girl's head.

'We have been together since we were young, of course we would get along well.'

'Mou... Shirou is treating me like a child again.'

Sakura playfully elbowed Shirou but she only looked extremely content while those who were looking at the two of them recognized the smile that Shirou had on his face.

It was the same peaceful smile that he _rarely, _ever gave out – and only in the few instances when he saved someone. It... it's odd, no one should be able to smile like that.

It seemed that even Sakura was confused and mesmerized by the sight of Shirou smiling like that as she just froze and blushed crimson.

..

'That's quite a tale, Miss Weiss... I have to retract my statement, I guess Shirou did pick up some etiquette when he was working part time at that Dust Shop.'

Rin scowled before turning to talk to her sister and Shirou before pausing at how everyone was staring at Shirou like they were idiots. Shirou too seemed lost in thought and Rin reached over to pinch Shirou on the sides to get his attention.

'Ow! What was that for, Tohsaka!'

'Tohsaka? You haven't called me that for years, Shirou?! What the heck?!'

Rin's temper flared all of a sudden at hearing Shirou refer to her in that fashion, she was his _friend_, dammit, maybe more than that! And here he was calling her using her family name?!

'S-Sorry, Rin, it, it was just a reflex!'

Shirou apologized immediately but the damage was done as she leaned over to try and grab Shirou's collar to pull him closer to her. The emphasis was on _try_ as Shirou just inched out of reach. The attempt was made harder when Sakura aided in Shirou's attempt to get out of the punishment. She couldn't fathom why her little sister would want to help that irritanting asshole.

'Sister, you have to calm down, Shirou didn't mean it!'

'I'll show you mean, and how to calm down! Get over here, Shirou – what do you mean that was a reflex? Did you know how _much_ I wanted to see you, and you're not even going to call me by my na-'

Rin choked when Sakura suddenly started giggling to herself and the head of the Tohsaka family flushed red when she realized her slip up.

'I-I mean, I... I...'

Rin was stark red as Sakura simply looked at her sister with a mixture of amusement and pride. The entire table was quiet as they saw potential gossip material between the two of them.

Shirou too seemed unable to react to what Rin had just said and he had froze while Rin looked meekly back at him. The proud girl that he was so used to seeing was slumped over with her face looking down on her lap. She was obviously embarrassed and if there was one thing that Shirou had to do in order to stop a blow out of Rin's legendary anger, was to salvage her pride somehow.

'I'm happy that you missed me, Rin, I missed you too.'

There, that was significantly polite enough and he did not belittle Rin's words and emotions as well. Hopefully that would appease her pride enough for her to start lording over him again like she tend to do so at times.

'H-Hmph, I-I'm glad that you realized that.'

It worked, for Rin's courage had returned with none of the anger, at least her mind was working again. Rin crossed her arms before laughing a little at Shirou, the red faced girl pointing a finger at Shirou proudly.

'I-I I just knew it, ahah, I knew it! A-Anyway, it's... it's nice to see you again, S-Shirou...'

Rin lowered her head and avoided his gaze while the rest of the table just snickered quietly to themselves.

* * *

'She took half an hour to just greet Shirou?! I don't care what you say, those two are a pair alright!'

Yang hissed into Blake's ears and the raven haired girl struggled to _not _sigh in reply. Yang was getting a little too excited for her liking and their team leader, Ruby, was distracted for some reason. She had been strangely quiet during the short tea session that they were currently having with Shirou's friends.

'Does it really matter?'

'Yes it does, having the two of them together would be _hilarious!_'

'I am sure that your amusement counts for _everything_, Yang, but teasing the two of them would hardly be the most mature thing to do.'

'Oh c'mon, Blake, when was the last time we got such a golden opportunity to tease Weiss?'

'Like how you try to do every single day?'

Blake shot back, with a roll of her eyes and Yang backed off after she made that valid point.

'Good point there, but it's soo hard to not try, you now?'

Yang exclaimed softly while Blake wondered if it was possible to have an injury due to excessive rolling of one's eyes, if there was – she might be close to reaching that limit if this conversation continued.

'I don't know why you are bothering me with this conversation, I would rather listen to the other's conversation.'

Especially about Shirou, she felt a little jealous listening to the stories of the trio's childhood that she was unable to have. She was not given a childhood and although for the most part, she did not mind, sometimes broken glass cut _deep_. This was one of those days where she had to really fight to keep her composure and calm in the face of hearing two girls talk about how perfect their lives were.

Blake felt guilty about that as well the moment she admitted that, the two girls did not have perfect lives, Rin's parents died when they were at a young age as well and it fell on Rin to single-handedly bring the two sisters up by herself.

Shirou and the Fujimura family had tried to help, but the fiercely independent head of the Tohsaka family had done well for herself with minimal support and was the head of a growing influential Dust Distributor Group in the country.

The realization that Rin used Crystallized Dust in her specialized form of combat caused Yang to be overwhelmed with laughter for some odd reason and Yang had to apologize to Rin for her outburst. Rin must think that Yang was crazy, Blake concurred with her, her blonde team-mate did give that impression to many, it was difficult for even her to treat Yang seriously at times.

The two girls had shared a lot of stories about their childhood and Blake started to know Shirou more as a result.

Shirou's family was killed by Grimm when he was around six years old and he was saved from the fire by a Faunus that was passing by, that Faunus Huntsmen had dropped him off by the militia before leaving. Shirou had never known who that particular Faunus was and wanted to thank him for saving his life.

That was also the birth of Shirou's dream to become a huntsmen to protect everyone, Blake knew that there could be worse reasons for doing so. In light of the situation, Blake was actually impressed that Shirou was able to keep his dream and resolve intact till now where he was training to be a huntsmen.

Blake turned and noticed, perhaps a little too late, that Yang had stopped talking to her to see her paying attention to what Sakura was sharing with everyone.

* * *

'Shirou trained with Miss Taiga for a very long time after that incident. He really trained very hard.'

Sakura looked at Shirou who simply shrugged and said that he had to train.

'It's difficult to know that one is weak, so I had to train to be stronger. That's all.'

Shirou tried to dismiss the incident as nothing important, but Rin was not letting him do so as she raised an eyebrow before detailing Shirou's training regime to the girls. It was a full day workout that started from 5am all the way to 1am in the morning.

'He kept this schedule up for three months before Taiga forced him to stop, he was working himself so hard that he was basically on autopilot.'

Rin pinched Shirou's sides as she reiterated to his team mates and friends.

'He got a bit more common sense now, but if he gets into one of these situations again, he'll go all out again...'

Rin looked nervous as she bit her lip and Sakura took the baton from her sister while putting a hand on Shirou, who didn't seem to understand why the mood was suddenly sombre.

'What my sister wishes to say is that, we will be counting on all of you to help look after Shirou for us... He doesn't look after himself that well.'

The Tohsaka sisters blinked in surprise when Pyrrha snorted in reply.

'Pardon me for being rude but - we know. We'll take care of him, it's a promise, Sakura, Rin. But... there's just one thing...'

Pyrrha suddenly bit her nail nervously while the two sisters recovered. Why did Pyrrha suddenly hesitate in the middle of a promise there?

'Well... Pyrrha looked over at Nora before clapping her hands together in apology to Ren. The only other guy who was present paused before grimacing at what Pyrrha was hesitating to say.

Shirou however did not think too much of the issue and simply told Rin and Sakura that Nora was distorted.

'D-Distorted?'

Shirou paid close attention to the two of them and he seemed strangely frustrated when the two girls didn't seem to understand what he meant – or perhaps was being discreet about it as Rin's eye sharpened when Shirou shook his head very slightly at her.

Pyrrha did catch that and she gave Rin an apologetic smile while the rest of the table looked confused.

'A-Anyway, we'll do what we can. But it's hard as we have another training junkie with us.'

Pyrrha nudged Nora who raised her hands in the air in agreement.

'Yep, Nora likes training _very_ much! I train with Shirou every day!'

'She's an endless dynamo of energy... I can barely keep up with her sometimes.'

Shirou admitted much to the shock of his two friends and the two struggled to come to terms with it before Pyrrha sighed explosively.

'Now you get to know what I feel like most of the time.'

That remark was enough to get the entire table to laughter before Pyrrha joined in too.

* * *

'It's nice to meet the two of you, Rin, Sakura.'

'For us too, Pyrrha, Ruby.'

Sakura bowed to the two girls who had hung back to say their goodbyes to them. Shirou was going to spend some more time with the two of them while the rest of Team RWBY and SNPR would return to the Academy.

'… I'm holding you accountable to look after that block head for us, Pyrrha.'

Rin muttered softly, out of earshot of Shirou while playing with the bangs of her hair and Pyrrha gave Rin a confident nod in return.

'Shirou is safe with us, he's nowhere as dense or naïve as he used to be before he enrolled in Beacon.'

'I'm glad to know that at least... It's been fun, and I hope to keep in contact with you and the rest.'

Rin shook hands with the two girls while Ruby smiled at Sakura.

'Will the two of you be staying here for a while?'

'For a week, we are wrapping some negotiations with the suppliers we have here.'

'You could visit us at Beacon if you like? We are getting some time off soon due to the tournament that is going to happen in two week's time.'

'Ahh.. I heard of that one, we would like to stay if we get a chance to see Shirou fight again – but we need to head to the next region to check on some supply issues... It's a pity.'

Rin gave a sad smile in reply while Ruby seemed sad as well.

'But you could join us in training as well if you like, I think Weiss and Yang would like that.'

The Tohsaka Sisters were not huntresses, but they had their own training and were good in their own right. Rin's particular style focused on a combination of mixed martial arts that was not too different from what Yang practised with the usage of Dust crystals to attack, again not too dissimilar to what Weiss uses.

Sakura on the other hand focused solely on the usage of her semblance and aura but she was unwilling or unable to explain how it worked. Suffice to say that it was powerful enough to protect her and Rin from harm as she had activated it in the incident that had left her without family members. If not for her unlocking her semblance, the two of them would be dead – and that shows how powerful the semblance was if it was able to save the pair from the fate of their parents single-handedly.

'Well... we don't mind visiting a little if we have the time.'

Rin answered for the two of them and Ruby smiled at the two of them before the Tohsaka sisters excused themselves to go to Shirou's side. The two girls from Team RWBY and SNPR fought hard not to smile at how Sakura latched on to Shirou's hands while Rin hesitated for a brief moment before taking grabbing his hand, only to just grip hold of his fingers.

'The two of them really like Shirou, don't they?'

Pyrrha started when Ruby remarked and the redhead nodded to her fellow redhead, uncertain as to what point she was trying to make.

'I'm glad I met them, I understood Shirou a lot better now, didn't you?'

'Of course I did! I didn't know that the knight of Beacon had such a past... he never seemed affected by it at all.'

'Oh, I'm sure he does... no one forgets such an event that easily. He just hides it very well.'

'Mm... maybe, eh, wait, Ruby, what do you mean?'

But Ruby had already joined her team when Pyrrha realized what she was insinuating and Pyrrha was left with her very confused, for she saw tears in Ruby's eyes as she ran off.

'Ruby?'

* * *

'So did you hear from Jaune?'

Rin asked Shirou as the two of them walked towards the hotel where the sisters were living in. Jaune Arc was Shirou's cousin, a fellow apprentice of Taiga that failed the admission test to enter Beacon. He still had a long way to go before he could meet the standards of Taiga to take the test again.

'Not really, Taiga is really working him hard...'

'Well serves that slacker alright, if he'd just train instead of trying to hit on every girl that he saw.'

'Rin, you shouldn't talk about Jaune like that...'

'Oh please, you know that guy's pathetic, he's such a Momma's boy too, if he was a bit mature and a bit less chauvinistic, he might be tolerable.'

Rin scoffed angrily while Shirou just chuckled awkwardly, he didn't know Rin hated Jaune so much.

'Jaune tried to hit on Rin recently...'

Ah, that explains it, Jaune has never been the most tactful individual in the world.

'So... what did Jaune call Rin?'

'My Twin-Tailed Princess.'

Sakura was unable to stop herself from snickering at the nickname that Jaune used to try and pick up Rin, while Shirou tried and failed to hold back his own laughter while Rin flushed redder than a tomato at being reminded of that name.

'S-Stop, stop, s-stupid Sakura! Why did you tell Shirou that?!'

'T-Twin-tailed.. -p-rincess-'

Shirou couldn't stop laughing while Sakura had to clamp her mouth shut with the help of a handkerchief as Rin glowered at the two of them.

'S-Stupid, it's Jaune's fault.. I'm going to murder him the next time I meet him... Oh, what about the nickname that he gave _you, _Sakura.'

Sakura looked surprised at Rin leering mischievously at her but the younger of the sisters didn't seem too upset as she repeated that name to Shirou.

'Spring Flower Princess.'

'Spring Flower Princess... oh, after your name? It, isn't that bad...'

'Isn't it? I am kind of flattered that he understood what I was named after.'

Sakura gave Rin a superior look that made Rin a little angrier before she just sighed and threw her hands up in surrender.

'Alright, fine whatever...''

As the two started to settle down into a comfortable silence while walking towards the hotel, the two sisters blinked in surprise when Shirou cleared his throat.

'Could I ask you something, Rin, Sakura?'

'Shirou? Sure... …'

Rin was surprised at the sudden request, but even more so at the serious look that Shirou had and she swallowed nervously as he leaned closer to whisper to the two of them.

'I want to know more about the two of you.'

'E-Ehh.. w-well you know us the longest, Shirou... what more do you want to know, Shirou?'

**'Ohhh that's being direct of you, darling~ I'm rooting for you!'**

Shirou ignored Crocea Mors' words before he took a deep breath.

'I want to know more, more about you, about your family... and your history. There's something I just need to know, please.'


	17. Chapter 17

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 17_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: Delays, DELAYs, Delays, and that's the story of my whole 2 weeks up till now. IRL sucks - so there you go - and there might be some issues with what Nephirim had pointed out before - but that's water under the bridge now.**  
** I might have forgotten to reply 1 or 2 pms, please forgive me for that. Nothing else from me for this chapter besides the usual:  
**

**Thank you for the beta, _bowpurity_ and _Nephirim - to the co-author now!_**

* * *

_**XoreandoX: This chapter was a little difficult to beta with real life issues kicking in for both wrathie and I and also because we had to make sure the differences between Shirou and Ruby were made clear in this chapter, though given what I had received as responses from Nephirin. It might not have been made very clear, hopefully you guys noted the differences between their ideals; And it isn't just the fact that Ruby isn't distorted. Well other than that though, enjoy the chapter and for those authors out there, Keep on Writing.**_

* * *

..

'I take that... back.'

Weiss huffed as she collapsed on the sweet sweet ground after finishing the last of her laps. She was the last person of her team to finish, the others were all done and were doing some warm ups for the next of Yang's physical conditioning.

Besides running twenty laps of the training field, they were going to continue to do thirty sets of jumping jacks, thirty sets of sit-ups before going for five repetitions of an obstacle course designed to train their reflexes and footwork.

Yang had taken the time and effort to come up with this training regimen for all of them, she had even spent the better half of the afternoon hammering in the wooden poles that made up the base of the obstacle course for their team.

Weiss had thought that the regimen would be easy, but she would dearly like to take that statement back now as Yang handed her a bottle of water which she gulped down eagerly and desperately.

'It's a little too tough for you, huh Weiss? We'll start you slow... You'll be doing half the number of sets the rest are going to do, then we'll work you up to catch up with us.'

'… Haah... right...'

Weiss was not trying so hard because she was being prideful, she was genuinely trying to get better and admittedly, the best person to help with that was her partner – Yang Xiao Long.

The blonde barely looked winded, she was sweating a little but looked fine. The other two members of RWBY were doing well too, but they were hardly the best comparison as the two of them were known for their _speed_. Ruby and Blake could run circles around anyone and there was nothing they could do about it. They trained exclusively in speed and therefore the 20 laps meant nothing to them, they finished their laps faster than Yang too, but they had been understandably nervous when Yang told them to double their laps the next time since they had it so easy.

'Ready yet? We need to get you to get up and cranking or you'll get cramps. Jumping jacks, c'mon!'

Yang urged Weiss, who was still dead on her feet up before getting her to start doing jumping jacks with the rest of the team. It was a struggle to keep herself from collapsing on her feet in the first five sets, but when it passed the two digit mark, Weiss felt her vision spinning and she only saw black.

* * *

'You okay? I'm sorry Weiss...'

Weiss woke up to see that she was in the infirmary together with a very guilty looking Yang and the heiress simply groaned as she shook her head.

'I feel like crap...'

Weiss admitted while accepting the water that Yang had fetched her and after a brief moment of rest, Weiss asked Yang what happened.

'You just collapsed while doing jumping jacks... I'm sorry for pushing you so hard.'

Yang sounded genuinely upset and the Schnee Heiress shook her head, saying that it wasn't her fault.

'It's my fault, I pushed myself too hard...'

Weiss gave her friend a return smile while leaning back on the bed. Her head was still a little dizzy and she didn't think she'll get up any time soon.

'…'

Weiss just looked at her fearfully while Weiss wondered why she was so afraid – it's not like she was going to die or an-

'What happened?'

Seeing Yang so worried and serious made Weiss panic a little and the heiress was suddenly very, very worried.

'Yang?'

'… N-Nothing, really... I'm just worried... rest, okay, Weiss?'

Yang repeated herself, was that tears in her eyes?

'I'm really fine, right, Yang?'

'Yes.. yes, I'm so glad... when you collapsed, I thought, I thought you were going to die...'

Yang choked a little and she gripped Weiss's hands so tightly that it hurt. Well, Weiss didn't expect that and the heiress's stance softened a little and she allowed Yang to rest her head on her shoulder to calm her down.

'… I'm sorry for worried you, I won't, I won't do that again...'

'Promise?'

Yang mumbled like a child and Weiss gave a light snort before nodding her head.

'I promise... and you need to stop behaving like a baby. What happened?'

Weiss asked, genuinely confused at seeing her friend behaving like this. Yang always gave the image of a strong, confident woman – seeing her vulnerable and weak like that was jarring.

'I, I'm sorry... -must, must be what happened yesterday getting to me... I... I saw Velvet, she's...'

'How is she?'

Weiss asked in concern, wincing as she struggled to sit up. She didn't like Faunus, never did, but Velvet was an exception to that rule as they were friends. Weiss knew she was being racist, but a lifetime of having been caused trouble by Faunus made it hard for her to trust them again.

'She's... in a bad way, so many cuts and bandages... they weren't sure she'd make it last night. Seeing her like that, and you... I just, sorry... Weiss.'

Yang lowered her head to rest on her lap and Weiss found herself comforting the blonde woman, feeling a small warmth grow in her chest at having someone who cared so much about her, because she was _her._

The two of them spent some time in the infirmary together, re-establishing that bond that they had formed over the past month until Yang broke the peaceful moment the only way she knew how.

'! D-Did you pinch my butt?'

'Yep...'

'W-Why – YAAAANG!'

* * *

'Hey... Shirou.'

Ruby Rose would like to say that it was an accident when she bumped into the team leader of SNPR, but that would be saying a lie. She did not like saying lies – she had been waiting for him to return from Vale.

'Ruby? What are you doing here?'

Shirou smiled at her in confusion before walking over to her. She was standing at the same balcony that he had met her last night. It was kind of fitting – or perhaps she had chosen this one specifically due to what happened last night.

Thinking back, Ruby had appeared to be very depressed to Shirou, he had been concerned about her – and all she did was to push him away.

It had taken Nora with her trademark bluntness to get through the emotional walls that she had put up last night, well that was going to change today.

Especially after learning about what Shirou had went through, it was... amazing how they were like mirrors in many ways.

'… I was waiting for you, I wanted to talk to you.'

Ruby breathed out softly as she admitted and she noted that Shirou's body posture changed very slightly, the boy was on guard but then it faded, Shirou giving a smile as he nodded while walking over to where she was.

'Some place private then? Or... do we talk here?'

Shirou asked casually as he took up a position to stand beside her. His hands gripped the edges of the balcony that they were on and it took a while before Ruby opened her mouth. She was glad that Shirou did not prompt or hurry her, to speak for it would have just made it more difficult for her to speak.

'… You asked me, what I was thinking about last night.'

Shirou did not say a word when Ruby started, her voice stuttering and a little uncertain. She had spent some time constructing her sentences and was screwing up from the get go, then again – this was a topic very close to her heart that she had never told anyone else before.

'I... Shirou... your family, they died because of Grimm when you were young?'

'… Yes, they did.'

Shirou's reply was quiet as well and Ruby felt bad at opening that wound, but she just wanted to be sure.

'… My mother died the same day I made my first kill.'

Ruby admitted softly and the seeing the look of recognition in his eyes and the way Shirou's tense body relaxed, Ruby hoped that he understood, or at least caught on. She was not going to say it **outright** – saying it out would break a part of her she was desperate to protect.

'I see...'

There was no judgement in his voice, it was just quiet acceptance and he did not say anything more after that, not even to prompt her. The two spent some time alone before Ruby spoke again.

'I will never forget that day. It... was horrible, so many people... just like that. Yang wasn't there, she and my father were away on a trip.'

Ruby never felt any bitterness for Yang, it was just an accident, she did not know that was going to happen. She loved her sister, just as much as her sister loved her. That much was true – but today she clung on to that hope like a lifesaver, telling and repeating to remind, to tell, to convince herself that was true.

'That was the day, I got my dream... how did you put it, your ideal? On that night filled with fire... d-death-'

Ruby choked mid sentence and she clutched her stomach in a gag reflex that was relieved when Shirou started petting her back, it was a terrible feeling, she wanted to throw up, the mental image in her head, the memory that was burnt into her mind always, _always_ got to her.

It was just her, it was a trauma and Ruby would _never_ see the end of it even if she faced it.

'Deep breaths, Ruby, deep breaths, that's it... deep breaths.'

With Shirou's gentle encouragement, Ruby finally got hold of her wits again while looking extremely upset. This was her worse nightmare, and how she was handling it was far worse than she had thought she could.

'Ruby, look at me, Ruby!'

Ruby gave a light gasp and she wondered why Shirou was holding her with his arms, and why they were so close.

'You were hyperventilating, Ruby, take deep breaths, deep breaths, alright?'

Ruby was unaware of it, but she was being held and supported by Shirou like she was a limp doll. But right now, she had to focus and to calm down like Shirou said.

It took a while, but eventually she did and Shirou let her go, letting her stand on her own power while leaning back on the railing of the balcony.

Strange, she felt like she was crying and when Ruby placed a hand on her cheek, she discovered that she _was _crying but she didn't care at that point.

'I wanted to s-'

'Ruby, stop, you can... you don't need to say this.'

Shirou interrupted her and Ruby looked up to see him looking at her with extreme concern. He was hovering over her protectively, and she was glad to see him trying so hard instead of bolting while making some excuse about how he was busy. She would have expected that of other guys, insensitive ones who did not know how much baggage she carried with her.

'No... I... I want to.'

Ruby swallowed before speaking again, this time with more courage as she stared into his eyes. Seeing him being so kind, and strong and having such a similar past made her feel strong as well and she, she wanted Shirou to know, so at least maybe, he could tell her how he did it.

'I... I want to protect everyone, that... I told you of my dream, didn't you? I... want to protect, and that's why I train so hard... Yang, she, took after my father. He was a huntsmen, Yang's... totally like him.'

Ruby gave a bitter smile as she watched Shirou's stance change again, he didn't understand but he would after she explained it all.

'I'm like my mother, she wasn't... she was just a normal farm girl that my father married... And, I know, I _know_ it's hard, that I couldn't, but I worked hard to get where I am now -'

Ruby's word was suddenly interrupted when Shirou placed a finger on her lips. It was a very intimate gesture that sent the blood rushing to her cheeks at what he was doing, why – why did he do that?

'Ruby, Ruby...'

He was repeating her name? What's up with that? Ruby found her head spinning a little while looking at Shirou. The concern was still there in his eyes, but he was definitely worked up now and was that tears in his eyes?

'T-Tell me, did you... were you saved?'

With Shirou's finger on her lips, Ruby reached up to pull the finger off, causing Shirou to start and blush too while she replied.

'N-No, I... I wasn't, I... I did it... myself.'

Ruby answered while lowering her eyes, all that blood, so much of it, on her, on everywhere, she was red, red, red all over, it's amazing she still liked red, red was the color of life, of death – all so muc-

'Ruby!'

Shirou's voice shook her out of her own thoughts again, only this time she was more aware of how and where Shirou was holding her. The smaller girl flushed red while she wriggled, trying to get out of the grip Shirou had on her.

'Don't!'

Shirou shouted at her, and Ruby froze at hearing that voice, it was filled with anguish and pain and it... it scared her as well as warmed her. He was worried for her?

'Don't... don't move, don't think... just... don't...'

..

Shirou gave a loud sigh, the tension leaving his body when he did that and only after a few moments of Ruby clinging on to him, that was awkward to say the least but Shirou had told her not to move. Only he didn't expect her to get comfortable in his arms.

'**Smooth, lover, real smooth~'**

Crocea Mors was not helping matters but it was what Ruby said that almost floored him. Was there another one right under his nose all along? That dream of saving, of protecting, a similar history that haunted her to no end. It was no wonder she had seemed so mature, she had been going through all that alone, that frustration and need to meet that dream of hers.

It made him sick to know that there was someone just like him right under his nose, and he didn't even realize it. She had been just like him – trying desperately to help, to save, throwing everything that she had to achieve a dream that she shouldn't have to aspire to when she earned her right to a peaceful life. He couldn't let her walk down this path, not when he could save her and stop the risk of her turning out just like _him_.

**'And don't interrupt me, Crocea Mors. Don't.'**

**'You're unnaturally serious about this, darling.'**

Crocea Mors sounded different too, perhaps she could sense the gravity of the situation here.

'**Very well, I will abide by your wishes.'**

'Ruby, listen to me... this is something I need to tell you, and you _have_ to listen and try to understand.'

If he was a shallow man, he would be laughing at the sheer irony of the situation. Was this what Rin felt when she had tried to explain to him how wrong and different he was at the start? He really owed her, and he would happily provide the girl with bottles of aspirin before allowing her to rip into him again, no doubt letting lose some steam due to him being as dense as a block of wood. It felt like he was repeating what Rin had told him so long ago, that his life should not be included on the scale that he used to decide his actions. The utilitarian way - where the more he saved, the better – shouldn't have himself included in the equation. His life shouldn't, couldn't be part of it as if he died – it was all over. It was only through explaining it to someone who was like him, did he now understand how frustrating it was, or how _frustrating_ it was at the start, at least.

So he understood why Ruby would feel obligated to save because she had survived and not the others. In the same vein, he also knew why it would destroy her the way it had destroyed Rin's Archer if she followed her path as she is now. Perhaps it had been the same way for him as well, his guilt and the suffering, the weight of so many lives on his shoulders, lives that he felt he had to live for their sake – maybe that was the catalyst that caused him to value his life less than those he was saving. He was living on borrowed time – and nothing that Rin could have said would have stopped him then. Even if it might end up leaving him with nothing left – he had nothing at the start to begin with, right?

That was wrong of course – he had Rin, Sakura, Taiga, Saber, he had... people who cared about him – and so did Ruby.

..

'I know you want to protect, to save, that is a remarkable dream, it's an amazing dream and to see someone like you try so hard despite everything. It... it is amazing, I am proud to have known you, Ruby, I really am.'

Shirou felt daggers getting stabbed into his heart at seeing Ruby's eyes light up and a smile forming on her lips. She, she wanted acknowledgement – to know that she wasn't wrong? To find someone who understood? Was that why she was baring her heart to him? If that was the case, it made him feel even more like a heel about the words he was going to tell her.

'But, you can't save everyone, Ruby.'

As he expected, the hope in Ruby's eyes disappeared while Shirou started tearing up. It was, hard to say it, and he _never_ said it to Rin or to anyone. It was the absolute betrayal of his ideals and dreams, but it was because of this that he could avoid what had happened, what had happened to _him_.

'You can't do that -'

Shirou winced when Ruby interrupted him by grabbing his collar, pulling his head down to glare at him. The younger girl's face was rich with emotion – hurt, betrayal, anger, disbelief and confusion all rolled into one. But Shirou couldn't stop now, not, _now_, when she _had _to know, before she hurt herself.

'You hypocrite!'

Ruby screamed at him but Shirou didn't wince at her accusation, she was right too – he was being a hypocrite.

'Y-You're the one who said that it was wrong! That you wanted to protect everyone! All of it, and n-now, I thought you'd UNDERSTAND! I really thought, that if it's you, y-you would!'

Ruby started strong, but ended up being weak as she started crying at Shirou. Her small body wrecked with trembles, shivers while tears just flowed down her face. She wasn't even taking the time to wipe her eyes or to blow her nose, she was just, staring, glaring and accusing him with her eyes.

If the two of them weren't in a secluded spot, he'd be worried that others would be coming after them now, but even if that's the case, Shirou had to continue.

'I do, believe me, I do... and yes, I'm being a hypocrite-'

'So why would you even SAY IT! If you know, and you understand – why would you say it?'

Ruby asked again while Shirou's voice started breaking as well, it was hard, so hard but he, he _had_ to.

'I... I was like you, I... I am still like you, I... I want to save everyone – it's not a crime to try to do that – it's not wrong! So I became strong so I could do that... but, I realize now….. I can't save everyone, no matter how hard I try, there will always be people that I can't save, even if I offer my own life to in exchange'

There, he said it again, and this time he was crying too. Shirou sniffed angrily while the grip he had on Ruby was getting stronger, the smaller girl being held by Shirou never complained or even called him out on that as she stared back at him.

She wanted answers, she was still distraught, confused but she was willing to listen. Shirou was grateful for that, maybe Ruby wasn't as far gone as he was. He had simply dismissed Rin's word when she first told him of that fact.

That he couldn't save everyone.

What a simple statement, one that could change his world, but made no sense to him at that time.

..

'You can't... save everyone, Ruby... no matter how hard you try, how hard you fight... you just... can't.'

Ruby looked at the boy who was crying while looking over her. The tears from his eyes dripping down on her as she just stared, trying to comprehend what he was saying with some difficulty.

'I... I can't?'

Shirou seemingly sagged with relief when Ruby said that, and for the life of him he didn't know _why_ that was such an important statement for him. She understood, no matter how strong she was – there was going to be the few that she could not save and she would have to be stronger to do that next time.

'You, can't... Ruby... it's like... what you told me the day before... you have to accept it... and move on. God knows I should have done that...'

Shirou was smiling again, the same peaceful, radiant and just... warm smile that made Ruby's heart beat faster. All the blood was going to her face again, she just knew it as it felt like her face was burning.

'Do you understand, Ruby? That... despite everything, there will... be people that you can't save.'

..

'I know, I know, I know I am being a hypocritical and that you were the one to stop me then, but I want you to know, I want you to promise me, that you'll remember what I told you, and that you will _never_ forget it.'

He wanted her to promise him? A shared promise?

Ruby felt her head spinning again, this wasn't– she knew she was getting worked up, her emotions were in a whirl and being held onto by Shirou was _not_ helping matters.

'You want me to promise... that I can't save everyone? T-That's... that's stupid, I, I want to protect, I want to save -'

'I know, I _know_. Gods I know that, Ruby...'

Shirou suddenly embraced Ruby, burying his face into the smaller girl's shoulders while she squeaked in surprise and shock.

'But you still don't _understand_, you have no idea how much that means to me right now.'

Ruby didn't know, and honestly, she was terrified at what was happening. How did it come to this? But strangely, she felt like she didn't care. All her worries from before, it, sort of faded away for a moment. Shirou understood, and he was going to help her.

That, was all she knew, and she was happy for that.

'So, so promise me, Ruby. Promise me, please.'

Shirou begged and when he pulled her at arms length to look at her in the eye, Ruby felt conflicted as she stared back at the anxious looking Shirou's eyes.

'I... I promise.'

Ruby finally gave a reply, she understood, like what Shirou said... was that what he wanted to know? Would that help her? She didn't know for sure, but a small part of her settled down more after saying that, like a weight was removed from her shoulders.

'T-Thank you, Ruby... and, and I'll help you through this, I promise.'

Shirou smiled again, that warm smile and happy smile that made her feel that she was _saved_, there was that word again and Ruby found herself leaning closer to him without meaning to, her eyes captivated on that smiling image of Shirou above her.

* * *

Yang Xiao Long had seen _a lot_ of things in her life, she had been in the underworld of Signal and although that didn't give her an immediate pass on everything the world could throw her, it prepared her for _many_ many things.

But even she was caught off guard, because nothing could've prepared her to see her _younger _sister kissing someone else.

Just thinking about it made her ill, but seriously, seeing Ruby kissing Shirou was definitely _not _on the agenda after she made sure Weiss was resting well. She was just considering a minor detour to get back to their dormitory room when she came upon Shirou embracing someone that looked suspiciously like her sister.

Then the girl just leaned in and kissed Shirou, her sister was the one who kissed him!

Yes, it was a short kiss, very tame compared to the action she'd gotten in the past, but SHE KISSED SHIROU!

'NOW WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON HERE?!'

Yang could make an entrance, as she just stormed over to the two of them with her semblance burning bright. If she didn't witness Ruby being the one to initiate the kiss, and how Shirou was a perfect gentleman, someone who would be the perfect boyfriend, she would have decked him one, and then some.

'Y-Yang!'

The two of them separated somewhat quickly, but not anxiously, they weren't doing something that would weigh on their guilty conscience huh?

'Okay spill, tell me what you two were doing – before I force it out – and trust me, you don't want to know _how_.'


	18. Chapter 18

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 18_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: IRL - balancing work, Catherine and writing really is tough. I'm losing focus on my work though and that's... bad.**

**In any case - I'm very sorry to say this, but one of my betas - Nephirim had decided to inform that he/she would not be able to continue PooL from Chapter 20 onwards. And as such - positions for a beta-reader is up again.**

**If you do think you have the time to spare as a beta, do PM me!**

**In other news - ElfCollaborator has been kind enough to reference Pieces out of Line in his Fic "Weiss Reacts". I forgot to mention it the last chapter as I was too anxious getting PooL 17 out. Thank you, ElfCollaborator, I really appreciate it! Even if Weiss might hate me for it. :laughs:  
**

**Till the next time!**

* * *

_**XoreandoX: Well, still a busy period of time for me and Wrathie it looks like we'll have to start looking for an extra hand to help with the beta work for PooL; please respond in a PM or review for Wrathie if you're interested. As for notes regarding this chapter, it wasn't too bad in terms of beta-ing and is just a follow up to what happened the previous chapter. The next one however I'm not too sure how many people (if any) will see coming, so until next time; Keep on Writing.**_

* * *

..

**'Letting the girl fall for you? You naughty animal you, darling~'**

Crocea Mors' taunts was spot on for once and Shirou found himself a little baffled at what happened. Ruby kissed him? Really?

**'Oh that child did, you cradle robber you~'**

Oh gods, she did, and Yang was here, he was going to get flattened by her. Not to mention how he had just returned from meeting Rin and Sakura. This would definitely not bode well.

**'Think fast, lover~'**

'It's... not what you think?'

Shirou tried lamely as he looked over at Ruby, the younger child was still disoriented and perhaps hormones was playing a part but the way she still had a hand on his arm was an area for concern. Had she been aware of what she was doing before? For that matter, Shirou wasn't sure what she felt about that kiss.

It really wasn't much of a kiss, she pressed her lips against him but that was it. It didn't seem like a romantic one, and yes, he had more experience with that then he would care to admit.

'**How much tongue did you get, darling?'**

Crocea Mors was _not_ helping but Shirou kept his wits with him as Ruby nodded her head a little dizzily back at Yang.

The burning blonde, literally burning was blonde was looking at them suspiciously but at least Shirou was relieved to see that she _hadn't_ gone off all guns and blazing at the get go and was waiting for them to explain.

She might have seen how Ruby was the one to kiss him, and although he didn't know what to feel about that, he was relieved to know that it wasn't _him _who did it.

**'Pushing the blame to the girl is not the way, darling~'**

**'AND I SAID SHUT IT WOMAN!'**

Shirou snapped in his mind, Crocea Mors had been getting on his nerves before, but this was just the last straw. Maybe he would be better off if he picked another weapon for a while.

'**W-Wait, darling, d-don't do that!'**

**'And pray tell, why shouldn't I? You're getting in my way, distracting me, I don't need this, Crocea Mors.'**

There was a brief silence before his weapon answered, sounding afraid and sombre.

'**I, I understand, darling... I won't do that again...'**

It made Shirou feel like an ass, but no it shouldn't, he asked her to stay out of his business after all. He would have to have a few words with his flirtatious weapon later on, but right now, dealing with Ruby and Yang was the most important thing at the moment.

..

'Er... I... I just, gods I'm sorry...'

Ruby seemed to finally recover from her daze after kissing Shirou and the younger girl blushed while burying her face into her hands while standing awkwardly beside him. Yang seemed strangely accepting of that fact as she marched straight up to Shirou, not too amused by Shirou's remark.

'That's a terrible excuse, Shirou, what did the two of you do? And Ruby, really? Getting on first base with Shirou, I didn't see that coming.'

Instead of this becoming an interrogation that Shirou was worried off, it seemed that Yang was supportive of this little rendezvous and what it might entail for the two of them.

Suddenly it all became less funny, was Ruby really interested in him?

'Sis! I... I just, it just came over me... I'm so sorry, Shirou...'

Ruby asked meekly after shouting at Yang and when Shirou looked back at her, she was like an awkward child who just got kissed. Which, in truth, she really was. It was hard for Shirou to develop romantic feelings for someone that that was so young – and probably didn't know what she wanted out of something like that.  
Especially when she had kissed him on a spur of the moment like what he suspected she had done.

'… Well in that case, the two of you will _forget_ what happened just now. Forget, do you hear me? FORGET IT ALL.'

That would have ended it, if not for Shirou interrupting Yang firmly.

'No.'

'What?'

Yang sounded confused, the blonde staring at Shirou while Ruby turned redder than ever as she fidgeted in her spot.

'I said, No. We can't forget what happened earlier.'

The moment Shirou said that, he wished he could take that line back and reword it to make it sound less suggestive. He _knew_ that Crocea Mors would be all over that statement but strangely, or reassuringly enough, she was silent. His threat of switching weapons finally made her shut up.

What did not help the situation was when Ruby gave a small squeak before turning redder than ever. The younger girl was now fingering her skirt while looking down at her feet, embarrassed to the max. That could be good, or could be very bad.

Shirou meant that she should not forget what he said to her – that sounded wrong too. Shirou meant that he would not want Ruby to forget what he had taught her – that was wrong too!

'Wait, what? What did you two DO? Is it not just first base? Second base? Oh gods! Y-You're not, she's just a kid, Shirou!'

The look of horror, disgust and then curiosity made Yang's semblance burn even brighter. It didn't help that Ruby tried to interject into the conversation a moment later.

'I'm not a kid, Yang! A-And it's a personal thing, i-it's not what you think it is!'

Yang whirled on Ruby, who was trying to defend the two of them and failing desperately in the process. If Shirou could do so, he'd bolt, but doing so would only cause more problems and he tried to defuse the situation by replying.

'It's something private between the two of us, Yang...'

That didn't sound right too as Yang clapped her hands in understanding, her expression grim and serious. This did not bode well, it did not. The mess was getting bigger and weirder with every passing moment, the only thing that could make this worse was if someone else walked into the conversation.

..

'Okay, okay, I got it... so it's private between the two of you. Huh, that sounded wrong... But okay, okay, fine. So my little sister has all _grown_ up, so you can handle this responsibly like adults, right?'

Yang calmed herself down while pacing around the two of them, herding the two of them closer to each other with each round she made. The two of them didn't know what Yang was thinking about, and the blonde herself was also unsure about the situation herself.

Shirou was a great guy, she had some vested interest in him and if it was Shirou who was dating her little sister, she honestly didn't mind.

He had issues and he had baggage, but Ruby had her own and the two of them – well it would be good for them, truth be told, to have to be in a relationship with social contact.

That was Yang's honest belief, so she was quite happy about it. The big sister part of Yang was telling her to punch Shirou's face in though, that was always the hard part to deal with.

To be honest, the most difficult part of this entire conversation was knowing that there was _more_ to the story that the two of them weren't giving her. So Yang did what they would all expect her to do at some point -

'Engagement huh... I didn't expect my younger sister to get married before me.'

The way the two of them froze immediately almost had Yang cackling in glee at messing with them, especially Shirou, who had a frozen look of horror that Yang just couldn't unsee.

She felt bad for him, Shirou deserved better and she definitely was not going to let an engagement happen, but it was worth teasing the two of them about.

But Yang told herself to treat this situation seriously if Ruby started to get serious about Shirou, especially when she knew that Shirou was a popular target in the market right now.

The other fan girls aside, Yang was not amused to remember that the majority of the people that was in Shirou's social circle in Beacon were girls. Not a small majority, but an overwhelming majority as Ren was the only male, non-academic staff that Shirou interacted with in Beacon on a regular basis.

Further probing earlier on had revealed that even in his old life back in Vale – his constant companions was two sweet girls. Okay, one was more pepper than sugar, but Shirou had an overwhelming number of girls in his life.

Velvet's crush on Shirou was legendary, everyone knew about that. In his own team, Pyrrha had an interest but thankfully was not willing to make the first move on him. Nora was just a friend, but the two of them were quite close, second only to Ren who Yang knew would end up with Nora eventually.

In her own team, her aside – she had a vested interest but nothing solid, Blake had developed a small crush after seeing him defend the Faunus, but it was nothing concrete. Weiss was amazingly immune to Shirou's charms, but it could be that the heiress had not realized it yet. With Ruby, who had never shown much of an interest until today jumping into the bandwagon, Yang found it a little too over the top. What was it about Emiya Shirou anyway?

'I-It's not like that! Definitely not! Yaaang!'

Ruby whined while hitting her lightly on the shoulder while Yang embraced her sister. She wanted to burn away the embarrassment with her over the top reactions and it seemed that it work, for Ruby was back to being functional again.

Shirou, on the other hand, was palming his face, showing that yes – he too had his wits back.

'Okay, good.. so the two of you are thinking straight now, eh?'

Yang gave Shirou a good hearted grin while petting her younger sister's back. Yang could literally feel Ruby's body heat rise again at confronting the elephant in the room. Ruby had kissed Shirou, for what, she wasn't sure, but she has to deal with it now instead of letting it affect her.

The two teams were working together – so that meant that unless resolved, this incident _would_ affect the two teams and Yang was not letting hormones affect the team's relationship. As hilarious as that would be, no, just no, when it came to her sister, Yang was super overprotective as heck.

'… Now, I don't want to know what happened, I should, but I don't want to. Like you two said, it's personal, it's private... but I do want to know is that what are the two of you going to do about it?'

* * *

That was the question of a lifetime for Ruby Rose as she was hugged by her sister. She had, just kissed Shirou. It was her first kiss and it didn't feel like anything the books or her friends had described. Worst of all, she had initiated it. It wasn't shared between a person she liked, but a person she admired.

And she wanted to die from embarrassment right now as by doing that, it might have made their relationship the most awkward in the entire world.

She had been serious about confessing to Shirou about her problems, hoping that he'd understand and then, maybe to get some advice from him.

She could tell that her plan was working, but what she was saying was affecting Shirou badly as well and it made her even more confused and upset. Didn't Shirou know how to deal with it? He was, Shirou! The Knight of Beacon, who had accomplished her dream – but he had reversed the tables on her. It was like, _she_ had been the one who had achieved his dreams and seeing him smile like that at her, Ruby, just took the opportunity and kissed him.

It was exactly like what Yang had described to her before – that was the moment, the moment where she knew that if she didn't take it, she would regret it.

In hindsight it was stupid, because obviously Shirou wouldn't have wanted or expected her to do that. But on the other hand, it was exactly because of that that Ruby had to take it. Shirou would probably never view her as a woman, as someone who was equal to him. However at that very moment, when Shirou smiled at Ruby, when he had just confessed his own problems after she had done so.

That was _the_ right moment for her to make a point.

Did she feel something for Shirou? Ruby wasn't sure, it might just be all the emotional build up that made her think that way, for her to kiss him, but, in the end.

She didn't mind if it was Shirou, and she didn't regret the kiss. She _was_ going to regret the aftermath though.

'… I... I don't know, what we're supposed to do.'

Somehow or another Yang had placed Ruby in a seat beside her while directly facing her was Shirou, looking a little unnerved but still calm. Ruby looked to the side to see her older sister looking as serious as she had ever seen her, she looked dependable and reliable and Ruby gave a timid smile when Yang held her hand in hers.

'I... I've... I'm sorry for kissing you, Shirou.'

'You shouldn't be, I think it's a sign of the times, the girl taking initiative, I know I did.'

Yang quipped to lighten the mood and it did for Ruby blushed while Shirou gave a small chuckle himself.

'Look, I know it's awkward, definitely more than the _talk_, you know what the birds and the bees are, right? You're not a child any more, I'm sorry for saying that and it's your business what you want to do... but -'

Yang started strongly but then gave Ruby and Shirou a glare as she slammed a fist on the table that they were sitting around.

'I'm your sister, and although I can approve of Shirou, he's really a great guy – I want to know what will happen after this, and whether it will affect our two teams. It's not just you and Shirou, it's team RWBY and SNPR, and we're not even getting started on what would happen with Velvet and the rest... so, let's be responsible adults and talk about it. What's going to happen to you relationship together.'

There was a brief pause to the conversation and Yang looked a little uncomfortable at how the other two were staring at her till Ruby commented.

'Wow, sis... you sounded... really responsible just now.'

Shirou couldn't help himself and he snorted at the remark, leaving Yang scandalized as she stared, betrayed at the two of them.

'I, I take offence to that! I'm your older sister, you can depend on me!'

Yang blushed when Ruby rolled her eyes and drawled out at her in reply.

'Righhttt... that aside -'

'Oi, Ruby! Be serious about this, I know I am.'

Yang crossed her arms in annoyance at Ruby trying to pass this off as something that was easy to fix, it just wasn't. Relationships were difficult to build, but easy to break. Just look at her own friendship with Weiss that was reinforced today.

'Sorry, Sorry... I … erm...'

Ruby looked at Shirou who just looked back, before the boy started the ball rolling.

'… What do you feel about me, Ruby... no, before that, what did that kiss mean to you?'

..

Shirou went straight to the point, Yang liked that and she watched as Ruby collected her thoughts and replied.

'I... I don't really know, at first it was because I just wanted to... you... looked really happy then, Shirou.. and, I just... I wanted to know why, so I guess.. I kissed you?'

Ruby replied awkwardly and Yang was glad Shirou didn't laugh, feelings were hard to understand. She had been feisty when puberty kicked in and hormones made her temperamental, ah, fun times.

'… Alright, I just wanted to tell Yang that I did not expect Ruby to kiss me, it caught me by surprise.'

Yang would like to tease the two right about now, there was plenty for her tease him about but instead she refrained and nodded her head instead.

'Fair enough, go on.'

'If you ask me, honestly, I'll say that... Ruby isn't ready.'

Yang wasn't too surprised at that, but when Ruby nodded her head as well, the other two just stared at her.

'I know I'm not... and, to be honest, I... I don't know how I feel about you, Shirou.'

'That is a very mature stance to take, Ruby.'

Shirou replied softly, while Yang simply nodded her head bluntly.

'… I don't want to cause things to change, especially... when I'm the one who did that.. and, like I said, I'm still confused... but, what you told me before...'

Ruby scowled when Yang perked up at that, Shirou simply narrowed his eyes before sighing at that.

'I'll remember it, and... I know you would help me... you would, right? No matter what... what our relationship turns out to be like.'

Ruby sounded like a child now, but considering the circumstances, Shirou understood and he nodded his head in reply.

'Thank you, really, Shirou... you helped me a lot, just... listening to me.'

Ruby blushed while Yang looked confused, again, she was missing the context here and Shirou liked that _very_ much indeed, less she got more ammunition on him when she got back to her teasing mode again.

'I'm glad that I could help.'

Shirou answered graciously while Ruby blushed and it seemed that the incident was settled, but it really wasn't.

'So you two will become friends with benefits?'

'YANG!'

In retrospect, they should have expected that to come from Yang at the end.

* * *

'I swear, that's the last time I help Shirou out.'

Rin gave her sister a loud grumble as the she laid on the comfortable bed in the hotel room. Shirou had helped them a little with the setting up of their new branch in Vale, but had subsequently asked a big favor from them as well.

It was hardly the best welcoming gift he could give, but seeing him well and good, it was a gift as well.

'Sis, you were the one who agreed to it without listening to him.'

Sakura reminded her sister and she giggled while pulling out the documents that they had to go through today. She had a fun day today, meeting with Shirou after so many years and seeing he was in good hands made her very happy as well.

'Well, that aside, at least we know he's doing well. Taiga would be glad to know that too... he hardly ever send messages to us after he enrolled in Beacon.'

'He's not avoiding us, you know. If he was, he wouldn't have came today.'

'Well, I doubt that, seeing he dumped us with that request of his... I mean, why would he be interested in our old records? And our families archives...'

Rin scratched her head while Sakura rolled her shoulders, getting rid of some of the kinks before peering down at the documents she had with her.

'I trust Shirou, just help him out, sis! He never asked for help before, it's the least you could do.'

'Haaah... I guess so, well, at least we have a week here... should we visit him soon? Do we have the time'

Rin asked while Sakura giggled, turning to look at her sister lazing about on the bed they shared.

'Are you so eager to meet him again, sister? We have a few meetings to attend, but we should be able to Beacon in the afternoon. Do you want to give Shirou a call? Or do you want to surprise him?'

Rin considered while Sakura waited patiently for her sister, she loved her sister, she really did, but Sakura thought that Rin should be more honest with her feelings at least.

'We'll see... but I wouldn't want to interrupt their training. Shirou's been training hard, his team too... the others though...'

Rin scoffed while Sakura just smiled back at her, wondering what she felt about the other girls with Shirou. It made Sakura a little jealous that other girls her age would be able to spend time with him, while she can't – but then again, it couldn't be helped. It would make her loyalty to him that much important – right?

'Ruby seems like a nice girl, Yang though...'

Sakura trailed off as Rin snorted in response.

'Don't worry about that bimbo, she isn't interested in Shirou at all. The black on on the other hand...'

'You mean Blake?'

'She's a faunus... I hope Shirou realized that.'

Rin declared openly while Sakura just gasped at her sister.

'How did you know that? I mean, she doesn't look like one.'

'That ribbon is hiding her ears... I've seen a few in my time, but her eyes is what gave her away. Those golden iris, they only come on Faunus.'

Rin gave a smirk but shrugged as well, she did not know why Blake was hiding her status as a Faunus even after Shirou had defended them all and showed that he doesn't care.

'Well, it's their problem... I just hope that the White Fang doesn't cause any problems. It was hard enough to negotiate a contract with the Schnee Group as it is...'

'Oh, is that why you were so polite to Weiss, sister?'

Sakura asked Rin while the head of the Tohsaka family gave a lazy grin back, she was being manipulative, but who cares? It was a dog eat dog world out there.

'A little, the heiress is all book smarts... but I guess hanging out with the blonde bimbo gives her some street smarts or she's all lost. Pity that, she looks like those naïve princesses in the movies.'

Rin gave a predatory grin which made Sakura shudder a little at how her sister was behaving.

'Calm down, sister... Shirou wouldn't like that if you hurt his friends.

'The Schnee isn't really worth my time, she's just the heiress... but it's good to see that she's learning so she won't be a liability to Shirou.'

Rin finished while snapping her fingers, Rin would never be too overprotective of Shirou, that much Sakura knew.

'Mm... you really do care for Shirou – I'm glad you are as protective as always, Rin.'

'Hmph, it's for that idiot's own good... but, what about you, how do you feel about the other girls?'

Sakura paused when the question was posed to her and the younger of the sister gave a shrug as she leaned back on her chair.

'I think that Pyrrha is good for Shirou, she's very caring and she'll take good care of him. Nora... Nora's odd, she's distorted...'

'Yeah, distorted... Shirou will take care of that... and for Ren, that guy's smart, if lazy.'

Sakura agreed with her on that and she shook her head slightly before continuing.

..

'I'm just worried that Shirou would drag them into trouble instead, all of them seem to be good people but we know Shirou...'

'Always trying to be the hero.'

The two girls chimed in as one before laughing at the joke together. It rhymes too and it was a running joke for them to do so in private, partly out of exasperation of what Shirou _could_ do if he set his mind at it.

'I swear he'll just involve us again in whatever mess that would happen to him later on, make a bet on it, Sakura?'

Rin asked cheekily and the two sisters smiled when Sakura said it would be a fool's bet.

'It's not Shirou's luck that is the problem, sister, it's yours... we'll be getting an incident report for us soon if you keep saying that and jinxing us.'

'… Well, it's not _my _fault if that happens!'


	19. Chapter 19

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 19_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: As spoken before, this Nephirin's last chapter beta-ing for PooL. Thank you all who has showed interest in beta-ing for PooL - I really appreciate the help and concern. We're in a bit of Reviews Slump.. aren't we? At any rate - keep them coming, and I hope you enjoy the latest chapter of PooL. I swore that I came up with the last bombshell of the chapter? Anyways, XoreandoX and I finalized the concept together, so we're both authors of that idea huh?**

* * *

Nephirin: Hello everyone, I'm not usually one to leave notes here. However this will be the last chapter that I'm editing as I'm leaving the story. I hope you continue to enjoy Pieces Out of Line.

* * *

_XoreandoX: While it is sad to see another beta go, we understand real life has priority. As for notes regarding this chapter, the bit at the end was originally a joke I suggested to wrathie during one of our talks, it seems Catherine latched onto that and didn't want to let go. Once again something I suggested as a joke found its way into the canon of PooL and required a whole new characterization development, the first joke was Shirou's semblance. In any case, thats all I can say at the moment in my half asleep state so enjoy the chapter, and for the authors out there, Keep on Writing._

* * *

'What took you so long?'

Pyrrha asked in concern as Shirou entered their shared room, SNPR had been expecting Shirou for a while after he called them and told them he was heading back to Beacon.

Instead of going all out during training today, Team SNPR was supposed to go through a few battle plans and tactics that Pyrrha felt would be good in preparation of the Vytal Festival that was going to be held in Beacon in two week's time.

It was probably a good plan – seeing how they had just gone through the wringer the day before and would need some time to recover from all that physical exercise.

To be honest, Pyrrha was concerned at how _well _the previous battle had gone as they had screwed up on several occasions. Their formation was solid, their team work with RWBY was terrific as well but at times they were at risk of being overrun because they didn't have the power to deal the finishing blows to the horde of Grimm that simply refused to quit. The Grimm were even climbing over their own fallen comrades to attack them for god's sake, it was like they were berserk and had nothing to lose.

Although Grimm do attack humans when given opportunity, they were still living beings and wouldn't fight if there was a chance they would lose.

The horde of Grimm that attacked them were odd as well. it was composed entirely of Ursas, and it is rare for that kind of Grimm to work together in such a large pack, as it was a solo predator and you don't get that many of them concentrated in one spot.

It made Pyrrha a little suspicious on the circumstances of that attack on the first place, which she did detail in their report together with Ren.

Ren had agreed, but had been loathe to make such a large fuss about it besides the bounty that they were supposed to receive for the Grimms that they had slain was going require additional paperwork as well. Ren, as lazy as ever.

'I got caught up, I was speaking with Ruby and Yang about a couple of things. Sorry for making you all wait like that...'

Shirou apologized while sitting down on his bed, he looked over to the side to see Ren actually working on something while Nora simply worked on loading one of the cartridges for Magnhild.

..

'Listen... about Rin and Sakura.'

Shirou started, causing the team to look and direct their attention to him while he continued.

'I didn't want to hide them from you guys, but it really has been a long time since I've seen them... and well, I wanted to get them... caught up first before I introduced them to you... they could, get emotional at times.'

Ren actually deadpanned first, the lazy boy giving Shirou a serious look as he interrupted.

'You mean Miss Rin.'

'Yes, Rin... she... well, you did your research on her?'

'The head of the Tohsaka Family, she's famous. I am surprised none of you had heard of her before.'

'She... is?'

Pyrrha looked confused while Nora didn't seem to care, so Ren did find out after all.

'Not for the best reasons, but yes, she's famous.'

'The Tohsaka are known as one of the top distributors of dust, but that is not what they are famous for. The Tohsaka family are famous for their work with Dust Crystals. They are known to be the best users of Dust crystals whether in combat, daily use or experimentation... and the youngest Tohsaka head, Tohsaka Rin...'

'She's good at making things explode with those crystals.'

Shirou finished for Ren while Nora finally perked up.

'Really? She can make crystals explode?'

'I thought crystals are supposed to be the most stable form of Dust?'

Pyrrha didn't sound too convinced but having Ren say that must have lent some credence to it as Ren continued.

'It's a family secret guarded by the Tohsakas, the current head has demolished and destroyed several buildings with her experiments when they went... out of hand. The two of them together, they are called the Sisters of Destruction.'

'Rin's a master at that art, a true genius... she can make Dust crystals explode like there is no tomorrow – she can even use elemental dust crystals as well to produce similar effects close to their elemental properties.'

Shirou chipped in while Nora and Pyrrha just looked shocked. Shirou didn't blame her, Rin doesn't seem like a threat – then again neither does Sakura, and she has a very ominous semblance.

But if Rin could make the safest thing in the house explode, that was scary. Very scary.

'That's why I didn't want to bring you guys along... it was probably a good thing you picked up Rin's call to tell her before hand, if she saw you guys straight off the bat...'

It would get messy, very messy indeed if Rin blew up in the middle of the interchange. She actually did that once before, by accident and had to pay for damages, That had nearly bankrupted the Tohsakas straight off the bat.

'Okay, so we might have underestimated the threat those two carry...'

'And Sakura, well she's normally nice... but if she gets mad...'

Shirou shuddered together with the rest of his team, they all understood that – 'Beware the Nice Ones'

It was the truth – and sadly, it really was relevant when it came to Sakura.

'… Sorry, it could have gotten messy, huh?'

Pyrrha smiled apologetically while Ren just looked a little ill, guess that was too much excitement for Ren. It would be hard on them, to know that they had just sat and chatted with two of the most dangerous women Shirou had ever met in his life and hadn't known it.

'That, is an understatement. I'm amazed it went as well as it did... but that's not important, let's get back to what we were supposed to do.'

Shirou gave his team a smile as they settled down around the middle of the room, where Ren, of all people pulled out his scroll and started explaining.

* * *

'… '

Blake Belladonna gave a small sigh at sight of her fellow Faunus, Velvet sleeping not so comfortably in the confines of the medical wing. She had visited Weiss earlier and after affirming that her teammate was fine, had dropped by to visit Velvet as well.

Velvet, the poor dear, had experienced so much unfairness in her life already – what with all the things that were happening in Beacon when they first met and how she had to see Shirou being pulled on a date with Yang.

Not to mention how Shirou, being as kind as it he was, couldn't return Velvet's feelings even if she confessed to him. Velvet knew that, she had spoken with Blake privately about that after the other Faunus girl's confession, but she hadn't been willing to give up.

Shirou inspired the small girl, as weak and helpless as she was to try harder, to try and gain respect. But unlike the other Faunus students in Beacon, Velvet was at a disadvantage because her semblance wasn't combat oriented.

She was a support type and although Velvet did unlock her aura and trained diligently in the use of her semblance, it didn't garner her respect from many of the other students.

For Velvet's semblance was of healing, much like how one's aura could do. It was a useful aura, because it didn't just heal wounds, it could speed up the recovery rate of others and might possibly even cure diseases.

But such a semblance was hardly of use as a huntress, and being physically weak made it even more difficult for Velvet.

Blake didn't blame Shirou for encouraging her, or saving her, she felt that with Shirou around, the Faunus did gain a lot more respect in Beacon. But in the case of Velvet, it was just false hope and Blake had hoped to convince her to withdraw from Beacon, or at least pursue a position of as a field medic or something that was more suited to her abilities. However she wanted to do so after the field trip to Forever Fall, but she was too late, and there she was, lying in front of her.

She might... never wake up again, or recover and it was all _her_ fault-

'Blake...'

Blake was unable to stop her voice hitching in a surprise cry when she turned to see not just Ruby, but Yang who hovered over her protectively.

'Weiss told us where to find you. She's worried too. She said, you looked odd when you left.'

Ruby supplied an answer as to why they were here and Blake lowered her head as her friends took the seats around the still sleeping girl.

'Did, Shirou come and visit?'

Yang asked hesitantly and Blake nodded her head. Shirou had dropped by for a quick visit before rushing off to meet with his team. Blake didn't blame him, at least he dropped by after all, Velvet would be happy.

'You got flowers for her... that's nice.'

Ruby supplied, looking awkward as well before Blake let loose a breath she didn't know she was holding before.

'… … I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here... I was friends with Velvet, I know that all of you were... but, she confided in me, about a lot of things. About Shirou, her team mates... she even asked me to train with her.'

Blake explained to her team mates while looking over fondly at Velvet, she almost felt as though she was her surrogate sister now that she was thinking about it. The two of them _were _Faunus after all, and Faunus stick with each other, and Shirou, she supposed.

'To be honest, I... I told Velvet that it would be best if she quit training to be a huntress.'

Blake raised a hand to forestall the cries of indignation from her team mates but surprisingly there was none, she'd imagine Ruby would have something to say about that. At least, something, but no there was none. They weren't even judging her, as far as she could tell anyway. It made her feel extremely relieved and happy to have such good friends and team mates.

'To put it bluntly, Velvet, she isn't suited to be a huntress. She has no physical abilities whatsoever, has the fear of hurting someone... and although she is smart, is unable to command her team properly. She does however... has a lot of potential as a field medic, or at least in the medical field. That was what I wanted to persuade Velvet to take up instead. She, is so caring and kind, she would make a good doctor.'

Faunus nurses were rare, partly due to the prejudice humans still have on them but Faunus Doctors were almost unheard of because humans would never trust their diagnosis. Faunus who fell ill either had to use their own home brew medicines or risk being ridiculed when veterinarians were despatched to help them instead of doctors in emergencies.

But Velvet with her semblance and caring nature, could be a great doctor. Blake was sure that with Shirou's motivation, Velvet would be on the fast track to be the first ever Faunus doctor in Vale, and maybe the continent.

..

'… I wanted to do that _after_ the trip...'

Blake stated with loathing in her voice and was surprised when Yang reached over to give her a hug after she said it.

'Y-Yang? R-Ruby?'

Ruby too was beside her in a heartbeat, her partner gently holding her hand and squeezing it to offer some comfort.

'Don't say it, don't say any more, Blake... we understand.'

'Ruby?'

Ruby's voice was soft, gentle and coaxing and it sounded very comforting for Blake.

'It's okay, it's not your fault, Blake. You wouldn't know... and if you did, you... you would do your best to stop this. I know you, Blake, so it's not your fault.'

Yang reassured Blake but the faunus found herself starting to get emotional, and mad, a dangerous combination as she started speaking again.

'H-How.. if I, If I had told her earlier -'

Blake was cut off when Ruby whispered to her while putting a finger on her lips.

'You can't save everyone, Blake, Shirou... he told me that, and... I know that's what he'll say this time as well... So please, Blake, don't... don't hurt yourself any more.'

Shirou was right, he was _always_ right, it made Ruby feel angry that he was, but since he meant well – she could do nothing but try and comfort Blake along with Yang.

* * *

The next two days were a whirlwind of activity for Team RWBY and SNPR as after the disastrous field trip to Forever Fall, and the subsequent day of rest – all of them were issued extra homework to be done in addition to the extra combat classes in preparation for the upcoming tournament during the Vytal Festival. The competition consisted of those not only from Beacon, but from different academies in Remnant, it was a pretty big deal apparently.

Besides their individual team exercises, Rin and Sakura did drop by to pay Shirou a visit and had sat in on some of the exercises the two teams were doing. In some instances, they even participated in them – with Shirou teaming up with either Rin or Pyrrha as they sparred with the other team members.

Yang and Weiss had as expected, became fast friends with Rin, the former helping Rin with some of her stances and martial art moves while the latter learning from Rin how to incorporate her glyphs to use Dust crystals as part of her arsenal.

Rin didn't go empty handed from the exchange of information as she was able to gain samples of the highest quality dust from Weiss as an exchange. From Yang the two of them had exchanged training tips while they worked out together.

Sakura was more of an onlooker than most, but the one time she sparred, it was with Shirou as her partner against the full might of Team RWBY.

The girls had been soundly trounced and they didn't know what had happened, neither did the onlooking team SNPR members, with only Shirou muttering about how it could not be unseen when Sakura activated her semblance at the start of the sparring match.

But time was short – and tomorrow was going to be the weekend where they could kick back and relax a little.

Not for Shirou though, the Tohsaka sisters were adamant in getting Shirou meeting them in Vale for the weekend, at least for one day.

He was not looking forward to it at all.

..

'Tough week, huh?'

Yang smiled around the table that was filled with the members of Team RWBY and SNPR. Blake was enjoying a cup of tea together with Weiss, the heiress filing her nails as she nodded her head. Team RWBY had been working on their physical conditioning the whole time, and Weiss was glad to know that she could see some of the fruits of her labor.

Being able to sleep very well was one, the workout after school just knocked the winds of Weiss's sails and she always slept well the moment her head dropped onto her pillow.

As a result of sleeping better, she was more energetic and a little less grumpy throughout the day as well.

'Any plans for the weekend guys?'

Since no one was replying Yang, the blonde asked again, grinning before scowling a little at how Team SNPR was crowding around Shirou, or specifically Shirou's scroll.

'Now what are you four staring at? We were talking to you guys too...'

Yang pouted as Team SNPR looked up in confusion and surprise.

'Oh, we're just looking at photos of Shirou when he was younger that Sakura sent over. He's so cute, do you want to see too?'

Barely a second after Pyrrha ended her sentence, Ruby was there and as the girls made way for Ruby and the rest of the girls, Shirou was being unceremoniously pushed away from the crowd.

Ren had wisely stepped away the moment Ruby appeared in a flash and the only other guy in the group gave Shirou a pat on his shoulder while he just groaned.

His masculinity cred was _all_ gone now that they had access to those photos! That was certainly payback on Rin's part, but why did Sakura have to humor her older sister? He trusted her too!

'Oh my gosh, is that really Shirou?! Eek! That's so adorable!'

It took all of Ren's effort to not laugh at Shirou as the boy looked absolutely miserable.

..

'So I know that Shirou will be visiting his friends at Vale, what will the rest of you guys be up to?' Yang asked Team SNPR who just shrugged, they didn't have any plans besides training a little if they could.

'Well Weiss wanted to visit Vale tomorrow. We could stock up on supplies while we're there...'

Shirou shot Yang a suspicious a look that made the blonde raise her hands up to clear her name.

'It's not me, it's really Weiss's idea!'

Yang was being sincere, she would never admit that but when Rin detonated that Dust crystal in that spar the two of them had, it had created a crater that was three feet wide and five feet deep. It was enough to cause Yang to lose concentration and be beaten by Rin.

With an explosion of that calibre and size, even the unflappable Yang was spooked. Shirou didn't blame her, not even Nora could create a crater that size easily. Better not tell Nora, she might take it as a challenge.

'Yes, seeing that the competitors of the Vytal Tournament would arriving this week end, we should be able to pick up on valuable intelligence if we stake the place out.'

Weiss rubbed her hands gleefully while the rest of the members just looked at her numbly, was she being so overt with her plans.

'As much as it would give us an advantage, that really is low of you, Weiss.'

Pyrrha, ever the fair competitor gave Weiss a deadpan look that Weiss returned with a level stare.

'Well excuse me for trying to win, Pyrrha. It is a perfectly valid strategy, and besides – it's their loss and our gain if they display their abilities in broad daylight for us to observe and to plot against.'

Weiss had a point there and Pyrrha gave her a grudging look before shrugging.

'I guess we could tag along too, right, Nora, Ren?'

'Of course!'

'You guys are not trying to follow me, are you?'

Even if Sakura and Rin had warmed up to Team SNPR more than Team RWBY, it didn't mean that the two would hesitate in showing their displeasure at being interrupted.

'Of course not, Shirou, that would be suicidal.'

Shirou was sad to note that Pyrrha had a very good and valid point there. Trying to pull one over the two sisters was dangerous, and almost certainly impossible due to the unique nature of Sakura's semblance.

* * *

'So any idea what Rin and Sakura wanted your help with tomorrow, Shirou?'

Pyrrha asked conversationally as the two teams returned their trays to the washing point. Shirou winced as he explained, it was some unexpected trouble that had the two sisters totally confused and upset.

'One of the stores they were supplying Dust to was robbed, you've seen the news about it right?'

'Ah yes, so the two of them would have to refill the store with Dust?'

'Yes, it was quite the amount too and although insurance would cover the cost, they need to schedule a shipment over to the store quick, and they wanted my help to ensure that the equipment there is still serviceable. If not they'll have to get another guy to come in to fix it.'

'Hmm.. that's right, you mentioned about you working in a dust shop once, was it due to Miss Rin as well?'

Weiss had really hit it off with Rin and the two of them were now firm friends – Shirou was sure it was due to her being the Schnee heiress that made Rin interested in knowing her, but hey, friends were friends.

'In part, it was good money … all I need is to be the bodyguard and runner for the shop owner. He taught me a lot before I had to quit the job. I learnt a lot about how to handle dust there.'

Shirou replied while Weiss nodded her head. Ruby however interjected the conversation as she mentioned about the robbery that she foiled.

'Roman Torchwick, he was after dust too and not the money, you think he might be involved?'

Ruby asked curiously as the team made their way back to the cafeteria for dessert.

'Maybe, we don't really know... we're leaving it to the police to investig- what do you know, a special report about it right now.'

The two teams stopped by the television that was broadcasting the news about a special report on the break-ins.

..

'The culprits had been identified as being a pair of Faunus, the two individuals were filmed by one of the security cameras opposite the shop.'

After hearing the news, Weiss gave a sound of disgust as she commented on how the Faunus was stealing and destroying property again. Weiss had always been a little biased towards the Faunus and after some confrontation with Blake, had revealed that it was the White Fang, a rebel and terrorist group that had caused much of that unhappiness towards the Faunus.

The White Fang had targeted many of the Schnee Group's operations, stealing their products, disrupting their supply lines and even tried to get their employees to riot against them.

It was an understatement to say that that White Fang had made Weiss's childhood terrible as day after day, week after week, they caused trouble for the Schnee Family directly and indirectly.

It was a wonder that Weiss was cordial to Velvet and didn't direct her anger at the other Faunus, and in light of that, Blake had relented and the two of them had came to an understanding about their own views on the Faunus.

..

'In other news, we were able to gain additional footage on the suspected culprits that broke into the All Clear Dust Shop a night before. The police are trying to appeal to all individuals who might have seen this individual to contact them at -'

As the image of the picture was flashed, two cries of disbelief could be heard at the same time. One came from Shirou, who could not believe his eyes at who was plastered on the TV Screen.

The man that was portrayed was Kiritsugu, the man who had saved him and, he was a criminal? That didn't make sense! He was supposed to be a Huntsman, a person who fought for good and for people, not as a common criminal.

The other individual who gasped was Blake, who had both hands cupped over her mouth in shock while staring at the same image.

'Shirou? Blake?'

'… No doubt they are upset about seeing that particular Faunus... I would be too, I know that individual. He is a member of White Fang, one of their leaders.'

Weiss supplied an answer to the two teams that made Shirou stiffen even more, Blake on the other hand was still staring at the screen in shock.

'He is? The White Fang? What is the White Fang?'

As Weiss started explaining about the White Fang to the others who didn't understand, Shirou found his mind racing at the implications. He could meet Kiritsugu, the man who saved him all those many years ago in Vale? No doubt he would be hard to find, he was a wanted man after all but Shirou _knew_ that Kiritsugu was not a criminal, it was just a mistake.

'The White Fang is a group of terrorists that wishes to wipe humanity off the face of the planet.'

Weiss was being awfully blunt about this and although her team knew it was an extremely biased point of view, though team SNPR did not know that.

'Oohh.. bad guys, they are bad guys.'

Nora slapped her hands in her palms in understanding while Pyrrha just looked unsure – she was a sharp one, or perhaps she just noticed that Blake suddenly looked very furious about Weiss's statement.

'Take that back, Weiss. We spoke about this, I understand that you have issues against the Faunus, but to label the White Fang like that is just unacceptable.'

'… Is it now, Blake? What if I tell you that the White Fang is responsible for the deaths of my family members, the board members of the Schnee Groups and various terrorists activities that were the direct causes of many losses of lives?'

Weiss snapped back but Blake just looked horrified for a moment as she calmed down, looking extremely guilty.

'And this man, this, Kiritsugu, I saw him personally when the White Fang, invaded my family's property. He was there, in that burning room, where my uncle and his wife was killed.'

Weiss spat angrily but instead of backing down, Blake shook her head and said that was impossible.

'I saw him with my _own_ eyes, Blake. He was there, in the burning room, that... that MONSTER, he was there in the middle of the room myself.'

Weiss clutched her weapon angrily before continuing.

'That is why I despise the White Fang. It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!'

Weiss declared with an edge of finality in her voice – only for Blake to scream back at her, regardless of them being in the cafeteria.

'HE'S NOT! HE'S THE CLOSEST THING TO A FATHER I HAVE!'

And with that outburst Blake was gone like the wind.


	20. Chapter 20

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 20_

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: The last chapter was well, XoreandoX expected it, I'm just happy I got some reviews. ChaosVector would be officially joining us as one of my betas, and we have another beta in the line so hopefully there would be less grammar and mistakes from the next few chapters.**

**Note: Do you know removes underlines + bolds?**

**Enjoy the chapter! **

* * *

ChaosVector: Hey guys, ChaosVector here ! One of the new betas for this great fanfic that my new friends Wrathie and XoreandoX have made. I'm glad I made the cut, since the last time I beta'd for anything was 2 years ago and I thought my work was rusty. Fortunately, I was wrong and thus here we are. Being a beta for a story you've come to love is way better than being one for a story you know nothing about. In future notes, I'll also recount a random event that happened recently in my life.

* * *

XoreandoX: Well another follow up chapter for the previous cliffhanger, overall in this chapter you start to see how Kiritsugu is like in PooL and how Shirou's relationship with Blake has taken a new turn. With that out of the way, I would like to welcome ChaosVector to the beta team, hopefully we don't end up burning him out with all the work wrathie has planned for him. So without further delay enjoy the chapter, and for those authors out there; Keep on Writing.

* * *

..

As Blake disappeared in a whirlwind of movement, everyone else was frozen in place. Weiss had been brutal there, and had exposed far too many intimate details that one shouldn't in public.

Then again, everyone had started disappearing the moment an argument looked imminent. Shirou was thankful for that, because he had something important to do – that was to catch up with the girl that he wondered if he actually _knew_about her at all.

Blake, saying that Kiritsugu was like a father to her? That was... certainly not what he expected.

'B-Blake!'

Ruby cried out a little too late, but she was stopped when Shirou grabbed her shoulder.

'Stay with your team, Ruby.'

'B-But, Blake, she's my part-'

'No buts, sort this out and catch up with us.'

Shirou ordered and the younger girl flinched before nodding her head, all the while watching Shirou take off after Blake.

To her teammates, nothing had changed between Ruby and Shirou. That was good, that was very good – as she had started to think that it wasn't a bad idea if she could have a shot at dating Shirou.

Starting to think of it, she hadn't made up her mind yet, but seeing the expression on his face, the look of determination as he rushed off to help Blake – it made Ruby just a little surer.

But now, she had to handle the big mess that Weiss had just caused.

'We need to talk... and now.'

Ruby declared to her team as well as those of team SNPR who were looking very confused... Except Ren, the tired looking boy was giving Weiss a calculating look as he leaned in closer to listen.

'In private... C'mon, to our rooms...'

Ruby gave a long sigh as Weiss looked catatonic, no doubt due to the many thoughts running through her mind right now. Ruby turned to look at her teammates for assistance instead and was relieved to see that Yang was at least functioning and she gave her sister a encouraging smile before helping Weiss move back to their room.

They had to hurry though, who knows how far Blake had gone before they caught up.

* * *

Blake hiccuped as she hugged herself while crying at the edge of Beacon academy, a small hill overlooking the valley and the forest that separated Beacon from Vale. It was a place that team RWBY had discovered once while they were out training and it had became theirs and team SNPR's secret picnic spot.

Right now, it was Blake's only refuge as she couldn't stop the tears from stopping as the memory of the man, of Kiritsugu was forced into view inside her mind.

He was stern, firm and was resolute in his ideals of making a world where Faunus and humans could coexist together. He was strong too, terribly strong and he would be the leader of the White Fang if he wasn't _so _overwhelmingly strong that he preferred to be a huntsman, taking on the duties to save both Faunus and humans together instead of being with the White Fang at all times.

But he was also caring, he loved kids, and he helped a lot of them, inspired them and gave all of them _hope_. Shirou's smile managed to echo with Kiritsugu's smile, that was one key reason why Blake had been interested, and subsequently rejected the idea of liking him.

They were in many ways, so much alike, but were different as well.

So Blake could not help but jump when Shirou called her name from behind her.

'Blake, are you... no, you are not alright.'

Shirou was to the point as always and that was a relief for Blake who looked as though she might cry as she turned to look at him,

'Sh-Shirou...'

Blake swallowed nervously as she struggled to her feet, to only fall as Shirou pushed her to sit back down instead. As Shirou settled down beside Blake, the Faunus rubbed her eyes to try and look presentable while Shirou simply kept quiet.

The silence was killing Blake, surely there was something he would like to ask? For once Blake had plenty to ask him, like how he knew that she was here? How he was able to, sort of, keep up with her till she had lost him?

What did he feel about what she said earlier, that a suspected terrorist that was also a Faunus was like a father figure to her?

There had to be something he could ask or to say to her? Anything at all?

But there was nothing, the two of them just sat in silence for a long time. Far too long for Blake's tastes, as she was the one to break it.

'Why... why won't you say something, Shirou? Surely... you have something to say?'

'… I was hoping you would be the one to start us off. There... are many things that you need to explain, to us... to the others and me.'

Shirou replied after a moment's pause and he saw Blake's shoulders tremble a little as she tucked her face to hide against her own knees. She looked pitiful, but adorable, Shirou would hug her to comfort her if not for the fact that he knew Blake would kill him if she did that without permission. Even if she looked like she needed it too.

'But before that... I need to tell you something too.'

Shirou cleared his throat before starting on his story of Kiritsugu.

'I never told anyone before, but then again no one asked.'

Shirou paused before he leaned back slightly, his eyes focused on something in front of her that she couldn't see.

'No one asked me why I protected the Faunus, they thought that I was a Knight. But all I wanted was to help them, it's wrong for Faunus to be treated differently than humans. We're all the same.'

Blake inhaled deeply, Shirou understood? No, that was stupid, it was something everyone should understand – but apparently not so as many humans treated Faunus differently, ostracized them. Some even viewed them as animals.

'You heard the story from Sakura, about how my family was killed by the Grimm and someone saved me right? It was a Faunus. A Faunus saved me, but even if they didn't, I still view them as equals, it's wrong to treat them differently. That's what I feel.'

Blake nodded at that, so now she understood why Shirou was willing to help, he was saved by a Faunus, was that it? But even so, Blake wanted to believe, honestly believe that Shirou meant what he said – that he would be the same even if he wasn't saved by a Faunus.

'Well, I never told you the name of the Faunus huntsman who saved me. His name was Kiritsugu, he was the Faunus that saved me. And... he was the guy on TV, and the one you said was your father figure.'

Shirou finished stoically without even missing a beat while Blake just looked at him as though he was crazy. Well, considering the circumstances, it probably seemed crazy. Shirou himself felt it was crazy, but facts were the facts, he could not do anything to change what was the truth. It was too much of a coincidence, and yet had to be true. Blake wouldn't have that made outburst if she hadn't known Kiritsugu – and since Shirou had not told her that he knew him, there was no way for her to be making this up.

Shirou just didn't know how Blake would react to that revelation, that Kiritsugu actually helped a human boy, him. Besides that, nothing should change – right?

'… I might have left out how I was brought along with him for a while before I was left in Taiga's care. We were out there for a couple of months before he dropped me off at Vale, guess a human couldn't stay with a group of Faunus who didn't trust humans.'

Shirou shrugged a little before turning to look at Blake, who had a mouth open before he smiled sadly at her.

'Yeah, I might have left that part out, that's sort of why I have no problems with Faunus, they saved me, helped me... and Kiritsugu gave me my dream. Who knows, I might even have seen -'

'You're... _**him**_.'

Blake was suddenly on him, literally, on him as she knocked Shirou on his back with her on top. He certainly didn't see _this_coming and Shirou found himself caught flat-footed, badly as Blake towered over him.

'Blake?'

Shirou narrowed his eyes in confusion, surprise and alarm when Blake's hand reached out to cup his chin, raising it slightly before she leaned closer to sniff him as well.

'Wait a minute, Blake? What are you doing?'

Shirou wasn't amused and the Knight of Beacon pushed her away when Blake stiffened, apparently too shocked to say a word. What had gotten over the girl anyway? He turned to confront her when Blake grabbed his right arm to inspect it.

'A-Ah, this...'

Blake froze again when she saw a small scar that he had received in his childhood on his right arm, if he remembered clearly he got it because he used it to protect some girl when he was younger. Wait, when did that happen again? It was difficult digging through the memories he had, but if he was right, he got that scar when he was with Kiritsugu – No, No way….

**'Darling, I swear... This is getting ridiculous.'**

For once, Shirou agreed with Crocea Mors and the Knight of Beacon was wondering what was the odds that he would meet someone who was distorted, someone who was _close_to being distorted, and then someone he had saved ten years ago when he was a child. Yes, this was starting to border on the ridiculous even more than before.

He blamed Crocea Mors. It had started getting weird when she had started talking – that part was weird too.

'**I take offence to that, darling. It is not my fault. It is yours.'**

She was right there and he hated to admit that she was, but there was no getting out of this one and Shirou was forced to agree for now, much to his dismay.

'**We need to talk soon, darling. And... not just about this situation, I promise, I won't tease you about this.'**

'_**Fine, I accept. We should, after we get through this mess.'**_

* * *

Blake found herself catatonic again for the second time today, Kiritsugu was the one who had saved the young Shirou in the past? He had saved a human? How, why?

But then again, that wasn't unusual due to the nature of Kiritsugu's profession, he was a huntsman after all, but that brought to mind the time that Kiritsugu had brought a human boy to the White Fang.

It had only lasted a few weeks, a month at most, but she remembered that time... it was a little difficult not to as it was a first for many of the Faunus children of her generation.

It was the first time that any of them had met a human _child_, one that wasn't afraid of them at all and truth to be told, many of the young Faunus had fun with him.

It was like Kiritsugu's dream could be realized after all, what with the human boy playing with them easily with no malice at all.

They had fun, ate together, and became friends.

It was nice – and he had even saved Blake once when he used his arm to stop a large falling tree branch that could have killed if not severely injure a few of them. He was their hero and she hadn't forgotten about him.

At least, she _thought_ she hadn't forgotten about him. Looking back, Blake realized that she might have forgotten about him after all, if she barely remembered what happened that day.

The human boy had been taken away for medical aid after the incident and Kiritsugu hadn't brought him back – Blake hadn't seen that person again and, truth to be told, she had forgotten about him until Shirou recounted the story. Yes, she had forgotten and only remembered when Shirou had recounted the tale to her without even knowing how important this tale was.

Shirou, was that boy? How could it, how could he...?

'You're _him_, you... are you really him?'

..

Blake found herself stammering as she looked at him. She wanted to thank him, but then again, why was she so agitated about this? It wasn't like he did something for her that was worth remembering – oh right, he saved her life then. Of course, this was so like Shirou for him not to realize why she was so worked up, but she herself was also confused as to how and what to feel about this awkward situation.

The only connection the two of them had was that they viewed Kiritsugu very highly. That was all... right?

'I-I don't really know... I mean, I have no idea what you're talking about.'

Shirou replied bluntly while Blake recoiled, that was right – she hadn't told him why she was so agitated at all, had she?

'… Because...

Blake paused before tugging at the ends of her ribbon that held it together, and when it came undone, Shirou was left staring at Blake's ears, her cat ears to be exact.

'… You're a Faunus?'

Shirou gave an incredulous cry while Blake nodded sadly. She was afraid of that reaction but apparently it wasn't what she thought it was for Shirou snapped his fingers.

'… So you were the girl that I saved, aren't you?'

'You remembered?'

Blake's voice had a hopeful tinge in it that made Shirou give an involuntary sigh.

'It's a little fuzzy – but yes, I remember... you were the Faunus girl, I didn't realize it at all. I'm... sorry?'

Shirou tried sheepishly while Blake blushed, clapping her hands together.

'You shouldn't be, I... I mean, well, yes... you shouldn't be. You couldn't have known. I wouldn't have remembered either if you hadn't reminded me about it.'

The two looked at each other awkwardly, Blake racking her brain in an attempt to remember what exactly happened during those few weeks that they had played together.

'That aside, Blake – have you calmed down a little?'

Shirou asked quietly, and when Blake nodded her head, Shirou spoke again.

'That's good… Why did you run away, Blake?'

'Weiss she… she was badmouthing Kiritsugu… I just couldn't accept it – he's not a terrorist! The Kiritsugu I know wouldn't have done that. He's a hero of the White Fang, of the Faunus, not some… some thief! They must have gotten it wrong somehow.'

Blake spoke out angrily while Shirou rubbed his chin. The Emiya Kiritsugu he knew, well he _was_called a terrorist at least in name. But, Shirou knew the extent that he would go in order to save lives, no matter what the cost.

If this was the same Kiritsugu he knew, he _would_ be called a terrorist, but it really depended on whether he viewed humans and Faunus as equals. He had to have faith that Kiritsugu would view them as one and the same - as Kiritsugu had saved him, a young human boy when he could've have left him for dead in the fire if he really viewed the two of them as different.

Either way, at least he knew why Blake was so agitated before. Blake knew Kiritsugu as a fatherly figure, she loved him and she was just defending him, but one thing, led to another, and it resulted in her losing her cool, as well as her cover.

Shirou couldn't shake Blake from that belief, he shouldn't – she deserved to have her own opinion and view of the Kiritsugu she knew along with the White Fang. That didn't mean she was right in hiding all that from her team, though.

'Alright, but that doesn't mean you should have hidden your Faunus heritage from them, Blake… you know that they'll be upset. Not to mention Weiss would be… furious at you keeping that from her.'

'That's an understatement, Shirou.'

Blake deadpanned while replying, sniffing and rolling her eyes when she did so. When Shirou smiled at her, Blake looked confused till Shirou called her out on that.

'At least your sense of humor is back. Are you feeling better, Blake?'

'I… I guess…'

'Good, then you can explain it to us, from the beginning.'

A familiar voice caused Blake to jump as she turned to see her friends and teammates, the entirety of Team RWBY and SNPR looking at her from behind. She had been so distracted she hadn't heard them coming at all. Shirou had heard them coming and the Knight of Beacon gave them a small wave as he got up before helping Blake up as well. The now revealed Faunus gave her friends nervous looks, looking from one face to another before her shoulder slumped again in depression.

'Aww, she's so cute!'

Nora was the one who broke the awkward atmosphere as she launched forward to hug Blake, her smaller frame making it difficult for her to touch Blake's Faunus ears.

She tried anyway as Blake blushed while trying to fight off her advances.

'P-Please, Nora, that's undignified! D-Don't -!'

It took Ren to calm Nora down again while the other girls gathered around her, no words were spoken, not much anyway until all of them sat down, waiting for Blake to begin her story from the beginning.

* * *

_Earlier on, with the rest of Team RWBY and SNPR_

* * *

'… Weiss, you have to calm down first.'

Ruby said softly to her friend and fellow teammate while Yang just looked on helplessly. The blonde had tried the same thing, but Weiss was _not_ having it as she was just furious at Blake from hiding such an important thing from them.

'Calm down? You expect, me to, calm down? You have got to be kidding, Ruby! This is not a minor incident, it is a breach of security! How could Beacon allow... allow a terrorist...'

Weiss faltered at that for she caught sight of Yang warning her with a burst of her semblance. No matter what Blake's history might be, she was their comrade and, more importantly, their friend. Yang would not betray a friend like that so easily. She'd want to know the truth before making any decisions on that matter.

Yang knew the darkness of the world more so than any of the other current members, and at the same time – was able to believe in others much more as well. Yang wanted to give Blake a chance to explain herself, and she would not let the team fall apart before Blake could do that. Weiss was just being uncooperative about it.

'She's _not _a terrorist, she's our friend! How could you say that, she's covered our back so many times! Without her, we wouldn't even be a team together!'

'That's just it! That's the problem here! She could be a spy here in Beacon. A spy would do anything to gain the trust of others! Anything, you hear? ANYTHING!'

Weiss snapped back while pointing a finger at Ruby accusingly.

'You're _her _partner, why didn't you notice it? Did you know, but just didn't tell us? She's conspiring with a terrorist group! For all we know she's already planted bombs all **around** Beacon! What are you going to do about it if she blows the school sky high?!'

Ruby faltered at that, her faith in Blake wavering for just a moment... before she slapped Weiss instead.

'How could you say that! Do you have so little faith in Blake? I know you dislike Faunus, but this is getting way out of hand! Why are you turning on Blake so easily? She was your friend, no, she _is_ your friend! How could you say such thing so easily? No – stop, I don't want you to tell me that you have a reason and that you hate Faunus, or anything, just... just answer my question first!'

Ruby slammed a hand on the table angrily while Weiss scowled back. The Schnee heiress looked around the room, knowing that she hadn't gained any allies here. Pyrrha looked uncertain, but she wouldn't be leaping to her aid any time soon. Nora was silenced by Ren, who was struggling to stop the energetic girl from jumping at someone. Probably her, she was being vilified here! There was nothing wrong in what she was saying, Blake _could_ be a spy. She was being the devil's advocate here – she was trying to remind them that Blake could be plotting to kill them here!

… She sounded like a jerk even to her, and Weiss's shoulders visibly slumped before Ruby could ask the question. It was something so noticeable that Ruby paused briefly before speaking again. Unlike how she had been about to _scream_, Ruby asked Weiss softly.

'Do you view Blake as a friend? Or any of us for that matter?'

..

Weiss didn't hesitate, that was an easy question and of course they knew the answer to that.

'Yes, Blake is a friend to me, she is a fellow teammate, a comrade that I had fought together with. All of you are my friends... I am proud to be able to say that.'

'If we are your friends, if Blake _is_ your friend... why don't you listen to Blake's story? A story always has two sides to it... so, could we, please...'

Ruby emphasized the please as she reached for Weiss' hands, holding it gently and squeezing it as the heiress winced uncomfortably before nodding her head in response.

'Good... Good... I'm glad, Weiss...'

Ruby gave a sigh of relief that turned into a scowl when Yang called out behind them in annoyance.

'She's just grateful because if you said no, I'd have tied you up and carried you to listen anyway. Now, let's get going! For all we know Blake's getting into first base with Shirou right now!'

Ruby gave a squawk of annoyance at how Yang just destroyed the mood again while the rest of the teams just rolled their eyes. They were used to it by now, but sometimes Yang does say the darndest things

* * *

_Back to the Present_

* * *

'Yang, you don't seem too surprised to see Blake as a Faunus at all.'

Shirou remarked before Blake could start and attention was drawn to the blonde who just shrugged before grinning at Blake.

'Well it was _kinda_ obvious, I confirmed my suspicions after living with her for a week. I didn't know she was an adorable kitty though.'

Yang laughed cheerfully but blanched a little when Blake blushed as she scooted over to hide behind Shirou.

'Holy shit, she's a totally different person with those ears out! Weiss, I demand you grow some to- Ow! Hey, what gives?!'

Weiss slapped Yang on the back of her head in annoyance while the rest of the teams just looked and stared at how adorable Blake was behaving, was it really the cat ears or she was just that shy when it came to her Faunus heritage?

'How would _you_ know, Yang? I didn't notice, neither did Ruby, so how did _you_?'

Weiss challenged Yang, who simply rolled her eyes while pointing at Blake.

'Well, besides the fact that she _never_ takes a bath with any one of us, locks the bathroom and changes by herself – which I admit could be because she wanted to hide those B-cups of hers.'

Blake gave an outraged cry while Yang grinned as Weiss rubbed her forehead in frustration and exasperation.

'Stop messing with everyone, Yang. If that's why, that's hardly a very convincing argument.'

'Point taken, how about Blake never taking her ribbon off for _anything_? Does that work for you? Who sleeps with a ribbon on her head anyway? Or combs her hair with a ribbon? Or how it remains picture perfect after getting up? What about how it doesn't even budge even in strong wind? That's how I knew she was hiding something below that ribbon of hers – and how she could be a Faunus too.'

Yang smirked victoriously at Weiss, who gave a frustrated sound at Yang being right on all counts there. Had she really taken all that into consideration? It was a little hard to believe that Yang could have spotted that. All of them were either blind or just didn't know each other that well.

'Anyway... we want to listen to your story Blake. So go ahead, our ears are wide open.'


	21. Chapter 21

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 21_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

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**Author's Notes: And this is the chapter where RazyAngel does his debut as my beta - I'm also amused by what ChaosVector wrote in his notes, but I'm not judging. In any case - this chapter was long, and was frustrating to publish due to formatting issues. Who knew it was so hard? Especially since the italic words keep sticking to each other...  
**

**Anyway - This chapter was also another chance to show how Yang isn't a typical blonde, gonna love that! I also enjoyed kitty Blake and authoritative Weiss. There's not much Weiss love recently after Shirou's Knight debut, hasn't it? Anyway - Enjoy this chapter!**

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_ChaosVector: So, I may be the reason this chapter is a day delayed… Sorry, about that. Well, talking about the story, if any of you thought the Shirou would be the driving force that solves the situation in this chapter… Then you better read it to find out for yourself. So, I got my hands on this game called "Armored Core 4" and got to the point where my mecha has to solo against 4 enemy aces, one of them being the current 'No. 1'. Question: What would you do? Answer: Make your AC [mecha] tanky as hell and only equip 2 HI LASER CANNONS. But I digress, you guys better stick around for the next chapters because something's about to hit the fan.  
_

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_Razyangel: A very necessary chapter that delves more into our Heiress and Feline character's mental state. I always believed Yang was more than what she appeared to be. Anywho hope my OCD helped in refining this chapter. Enjoy and look forward to the next chapter._

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**_XoreandoX: Well first off, I would like to say welcome to Razyangel to the beta team, with the new addition hopefully PooL will come out a little quicker. As for notes regarding this chapter, we hopefully give a small glimpse into the kind of trauma Weiss had to endure over the years as a child, and despite how some readers might see her reaction as being something OOC from Canon, I'd like to remind readers that Weiss in canon had a full day with Yang to think about how she would address Blake before actually meeting with Blake face-to-face at the docks. In this scenario, she only had about an hour to try and cooldown before confronting Blake, and compounded with the resurgence of an old but dark memory of Weiss' past, you get the explosion you see here. Well thats it from me, so without further delay enjoy the chapter, and for the authors out there; Keep on Writing._**

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..

'… That's the story of the White Fang, what we... were supposed to be... it was _never _supposed to be that way.'

Blake had finished her version of the story about the so-called terrorist group with the rest listening attentively to her. At numerous times when Blake was telling the story, Weiss had looked miffed and looked like she was going to interrupt when Yang stopped her and the heiress had relented, that was until now.

This was especially so when Blake looked at Weiss with guilty eyes, the Faunus knew about the raids and attacks that were carried out by the White Fang, hell she'd even participate in one of them herself.

'I-I'm... sorry, Weiss.'

The apology from Blake came a little too late for Weiss and she was about to launch a tirade at Blake for even _daring _to say that when the steady hand of Yang stopped her. Whirling back, Weiss glared at Yang only to see her team mate silently shaking her head at her instead. Having Yang, the impulsive and teasing blonde – not to mention the one who Weiss had mocked for being the stereotypical example of a _dumb blonde _tell her what the _right _thing to do was really making Weiss upset and confused on _how _Yang could do this, she was confused, and it was getting her very worked up and upset.

They did not know how _much _this mattered to her. The White Fang – regardless of their intent or past actions have done the unforgivable.

They had _killed _her family, they _had _to pay – and there she was, a member of the White Fang that she could actually _reach _and touch and _punish _and they were stopping her? Weiss could barely control herself or her hatred of that... _that_ FAUNUS BITCH!

'You need to calm down, I get it, you might not think so, but I get it, Weiss.'

Yang's strong and steady hand tightened its grip on her shoulders and Weiss glared angrily, her temper rising at how Yang dared to say that.

The attention of the entire group was now focused on the two of them instead of on Blake, but Weiss didn't care that it was so – Yang wasn't helping her at all. She was stopping her from exacting revenge for her family!

'You don't, how could you ever understand?'

Weiss growled back and she could care less that Yang didn't even react physically to her threat – Yang did not scare easily but that was not important – she was probably too dense to even know fear.

'Maybe, maybe not… I won't say I do, but hear me out at least. Humor me, why don't you?'

Yang challenged and that lit the smouldering fire that caused Weiss to snap under the strain and intense anger.

'Oh really, Yang Xiao Long.'

Weiss muttered Yang's full name – causing the blonde to narrow her eyes. Weiss knew how Yang hated to be called that and she knew she was pushing her buttons – but she didn't care.

Even if Yang swung at her, it would just serve to prove her point – that Yang had no business telling her to calm down when she can't do the same.

'The White Fang, the organization in which that **Faunus** -'

Blake winced visibly at how Weiss spat that phrase out – 'Faunus' like it was a swear word. The raven-haired girl had _never_seen Weiss so upset before, but she could understand why Weiss was angry at her. At them. It still ripped into her though, it really hurt her to see her friend do that to her. Her worst fears were being realized and it was not pretty.

' - had admitted to being part of, is responsible for taking my family members away from me, almost destroying my entire childhood, and causing endless trauma and pain for countless innocent people that were directly or indirectly connected to the Schnee for no reason at all. Even if there might be some grain of truth in how the Schnee group treated the Faunus employees under our charge – that does not give them ample reason for them to target us so viciously.'

Weiss paused before narrowing her eyes, swinging her hands back and pointing at Blake angrily.

'_IF_ \- and that is a big if – they could use that as a reason to target the Schnee indiscriminately, in the same vein, I could do the same back to them. Be glad I did not up till now – my animosity for the White Fang could have spread to all Faunus, but I have in no small effort, tried to remain objective and _fair_. Shirou has a point.'

Weiss gave the Knight a small nod in acknowledgement before she continued.

'Not _everyone _is at fault, or is the same. I admit and acknowledge – that Faunus do have the right to be angry at us humans, _yes_. But none of that matters for the White Fang.'

Weiss drew Myrtenaster out swiftly and softly – the rapier pointing dangerously at Blake while Weiss had a dangerous glint in her eyes. She would end this White Fang member– she would without a moment of hesitation in a heartbeat.

'They are terrorists and murderers – I will have my vengeance on the White Fang, one way or another and it will start with you, Faunus scum.'

Weiss snarled and was ready to show that she meant business when Yang clapped her hands in applause. It was not to congratulate her. There was no mirth with the gesture – no sounds or looks of teasing, Yang was meeting her eyes stoically and firmly, she was dead serious and that made Weiss hesitate for a moment.

'That was a good speech – magnificent really, I didn't think you could, well, be so level headed while wanting to chew someone out. You really are a Schnee, aren't you? But – yeah – that was good, that was great – really, and if I was like, the jury member after you delivered that – I might even acquit you if you attacked her right now.'

Yang jerked her thumb at Blake – who started to look afraid and confused at the two's exchange.

'Your point being, Yang?'

'If she's the White Fang member that killed your family – no, if she was _any _White Fang member, I'll probably agree with you – they did terrible things to you, they deserved to be punished for what they've done. Even if I hate the circle of revenge – hatred, that's so cheesy, I know right? But I'd say that you gave plenty of justification to _why _you should be allowed to attack a member of the White Fang. Heck, if she actually _did _something to you and your family – then sure, I think anyone would say she deserves what's coming.'

As the others looked confused at Yang's words, Weiss certainly knew she was – was Yang giving her permission to end that Faunus right now? She was not going to stop her? That was the whole point of her argument, yes, but to have it be accepted so easily does throw her for a loop.

'So... you would not stop me, Yang?'

Weiss tried tentatively but Yang shook her head, further confusing the heiress, was that a yes or a no?

'Nope, I'll stop you, because... you called her Faunus... a Faunus. You're not even viewing Blake as our friend anymore.'

Weiss's breathing stopped as Yang's point struck home and she turned to look at Blake, her friend, her comrade again as her eyes widened. It was similar to what Ruby had asked before they had rushed here – whether she viewed Blake as a friend – and she did, but had she been viewing the girl in front of her as Blake?

Her rage had covered her better judgement once more, and Weiss found herself staring at Blake again, trying to associate this… girl, not that _Faunus_as Blake.

It _should _be easy for her to do that. It was just Blake, _Blake _with cat ears – but… somehow, no.

It just, it wouldn't – Weiss couldn't look Blake in the eye without going to her ears and thinking – Faunus.

She was a Faunus and not, not human.

..

Weiss had _never _had that problem before. Not even Velvet had caused such an extreme association at all – was it the betrayal that she felt when one of her closest friends dropped this bombshell on her?

'…'

Yang leaned closer before wrapping a hand around Weiss' shoulders.

'I get it, you hate the White Fang, and really, I think you have good reason to. If Blake really has done something wrong, she _should_answer for them. That's how justice works.'

Blake flinched but then lowered her head in understanding at her friend's words. It was just fair and to be honest – Blake felt a little relieved at that. She was done hiding, not being able to be open with who she was and what she had done.

The fear that her past would catch up with her and end up hurting her friends was a real and growing threat that had been haunting her till now. But enough was enough, she was going to face her past, fears as well as her friends openly and proudly too.

Blake looked around at the group of individuals she was proud to call friends – Ruby was silent but giving her silent support as she was standing by her side and holding her hand.

Shirou was being, Shirou, he hadn't left her side as well and he wasn't judging her with his eyes.

Pyrrha was frowning, deep in thought but she was hopeful that the sensible redhead would accept her as who she was.

Nora had Ren's hand holding hers as the energetic girl looked like she was ready to pounce on her – she was quite worried about that but she had no doubts Nora would never mind knowing she was a Faunus, or a member of the White Fang.

Ren was a logical as Pyrrha – Team SNPR had the oddest and the most stable individuals in the same group and from how Ren was quietly holding Nora back, he didn't care at all who she was at all.

She should've been braver and told them when Shirou stood up for the Faunus in the cafeteria that day. That would've been the best time, but as she missed it, she was too afraid to do so again.

'...Weiss, I just want you to be sure, that whatever you plan on doing, you know that you are doing that to Blake. Blake Belladonna, our friend, and our team mate... the person who saved you in battle before. If she really wanted you dead, you'd be dead already.'

Weiss flinched at that but Yang had a point, a perfectly valid point that made the heiress shudder slightly as she looked at Blake.

'Weiss, look at me and then look at Blake again and calm down... if and only if you see her as Blake and not some faceless member of the White Fang, then we can talk about what we're going to do, alright?'

Yang's arm squeezed Weiss while the anger slowly drained out of her as Yang's point was made to her. She had lost herself to her anger and even if she was right – she _was right _in her points, she had neglected the history the two of them had as well.

Somehow it infuriated her again, that _Yang _had to be the one to remind her of that

Yang of all people, if it was Blake, she might have – oh no...

Yang gave a snort as if she could read her mind and the Schnee heiress scowled before lowering Myrtenaster slowly, her entire body in a fit of anger, or was it fear?

Weiss Schnee, the heiress of the Schnee Group – the same group that the White Fang had systematically tried to destroy – took a deep breath before meeting Blake Belladonna's eyes again.

'Yang's right… I… lost myself… and… and I am sorry, I apologize.'

Weiss forced the words out of her mouth as she looked at Blake – the heiress did not want to do that – to apologize to a member of the White Fang. But this was Blake, her team mate, and not only is it disrespectful to what Blake had done for her, it would be considered ungrateful as well. And a Schnee _always _repays their debt.

'I lost myself to my anger… and I caused trouble for everyone, especially you, Blake… I might, would have… acted on my ingrained hatred.'

Weiss paused while saying that word – hatred – was it that deep? Yes it was, it was hatred – she could _never_forgive the White Fang for what they did to her family.

'Hatred… for the White Fang…. I believe you were speaking about how you were no longer a member of the White Fang, Blake?'

Weiss gained control of her emotions before asking Blake.

'I… need to know, no, I demand to know. Did you participate in any terrorist activity against the Schnee group, Blake?'

Weiss saw Blake hesitate but the heiress swallowed her reflective urge to pounce on that physical cue of guiltiness to allow Blake to defend herself. Weiss could allow for that much at least for a friend of hers.

'...Weiss – I...'

Blake stammered and stopped when Ruby nudged her from behind, seeing the smaller redhead mouthing the words 'I'll support you' gave her the strength to respond to Weiss. The Faunus girl was scared, anyone would be in her situation.

'Alright Blake, be frank with us, be honest little kitty. Did you do something against the Schnee?'

'I did… I helped the White Fang steal a train full of dust, Weiss… I'm…'

Blake hesitated – apologies were not going to be sufficient but she _had _to say that – right? So why did she stutter and stop?

Was it because of the look of shock that she saw in her team mates that made her stop again – had she disappointed them, made them fear her perhaps?

'It's okay, Blake –'

Ruby was again the one who rescued her as she gripped her hand harder.

'Even if you did that – I still trust you, Blake.'

'Ruby… I-I'm sorry… but, I… don't deserve this trust… and Weiss, I did… I'm sorry. I know that it's too late, and it means nothing now, there's nothing I can do to… to make amends – but I, I'm sorry… I knew it was wrong – but… there's no excuses I can say that makes it right…

'Okay Weiss, lynch her.'

Yang interrupted suddenly much to everyone's shock, Ruby gave her sister a startled cry while even Weiss was caught by surprise, she spinning to look at Yang who had a dead serious expression on her face. The other members of the two teams just stared, gaped and looked outraged.

'Yang! H-How could you say that, sis? B-Blake's a friend! W-Why did you, why do you want to do that!'

'Yang... I... I, I suppose... I...deserve that.'

Blake's shoulders slumped in what might be dismay that made Shirou clench his fists. Had Blake given up just like that?

'Or punish her, whatever's good. It's justice, or whatever you want to call it. If someone did something wrong, they have to be punished – and from what you already explained – it's Blake's fault, she started it by attacking the Schnee, so you can lynch her. It's only fair, right?'

Yang had the airs of someone who was totally disinterested in what was going on – and the blonde dismissed everyone who was glaring at her.

'Yang... What do you mean by that? Do you honestly expect me to do that to... Blake?'

'What, wasn't that what you wanted at first, Weiss? Remember, she admitted to stealing from your family! They stole an entire train worth of dust, that's stealing right? Hijacking too! What if Blake killed someone there by accident? What if the dust was used to kill people? Oh, that would be bad right?'

None of those gathered understood what Yang was driving at. The blonde was jumping from one conversation to another and it simply threw everyone of them into a loop. What was Yang doing? Was she defending Blake or was she making things worse?

'Yes... it would be bad... and yes, Blake admitted to... stealing from my family, and... so you would wish for me to take justice into my own hands?'

Weiss asked patiently, drawing the words out in a bid to understand Yang better. It was strange, now that she had gotten the opportunity to do so, with Yang's support, she didn't want to. It, just didn't make sense at all.

Was this Yang's ploy all along, to string her up so much that she had worked her temper and anger to exhaustion?

Weiss narrowed her eyes angrily as she contemplated that Yang might have done just so – and found herself unable to come to terms with that.

This was, Yang, after all. Yang Xiao Long, a girl who seemed to be all muscle and violence, with none of the smarts or experience playing the political games that a Schnee like she did. She found it extremely difficult to accept that she could manipulate her to do so without her realizing it.

It – was just a coincidence.

'Wasn't that what you wanted, I was helping you, Weiss. Like I said, I got your back.'

Yang gave Weiss an easy going smile while the rest of Team RWBY and SNPR gathered around Blake protectively – only for Blake to beg them to give way.

'Yang is right... I, I committed a crime and... I helped them get away with it, and... I should answer for it.'

Blake put on a brave face as she walked towards Weiss, the raven-haired girl giving her a bow as she stood in front of her, waiting for Weiss' judgement on what should be done to her.

She had told them _everything_ about her past and the White Fang, she wasn't going to just deny it right now. If Weiss were to call the police to arrest her, she'll admit to the crime.

'… You will surrender yourself to me, Blake?'

Weiss spoke carefully, her eyes wary and guarded as Blake nodded her head. With Yang beside Weiss, the heiress looked firm, but a little sad as she opened her mouth to speak – only for Yang to butt in again, sounding cheerful while the others just gawked at how she was handling the situation.

'For all we know she's been so close to us is to get you softened up so she could stab you at the back. But then again, this is Blake, she's our friend – isn't she?'

The response from Weiss was to slap Yang instead, the heiress doing that without even thinking and the Blonde looked shocked before turning back to look at Weiss. She was twitching in anger before reaching out to grab Yang's collar.

'What is wrong with you? What do _you_ want me to do?! Are you _ordering_ me? Are you _suggesting _to me _what_ to _do_? What? Answer me, Yang? One minute you are telling me to take my revenge on the White Fang – the next you are telling me to not confuse Blake, my _friend_ with those who attacked my family and now, and NOW – you are telling me that Blake is _not_ my friend? Isn't SHE _your_ friend?!'

Weiss shouted at Yang and as she rubbed her chin – Yang answered Weiss easily.

'Duh, of course she's my friend. She's part of Team RWBY – and my team mate, Blake is my adorable little kitteh!'

Yang reached over to grab Blake in a hug that made the Faunus yelp in surprise.

'So why did you – why did you do all that? Why are you riling me up? Why are you saying all those things to me about Blake and me! What is it that you want me to do, Yang?!'

Weiss sounded desperate now as she questioned Yang's motives and as before – no one knew why as she was literally spouting nonsense. But when Yang replied – it was with a serious expression that made everyone pay attention.

'I'm just putting it out on the field here – being honest and telling you the possibilities that you have. The world isn't fair, and really – that's the way things works. You're a smart girl aren't you, Weiss. You are, don't answer that, it kills me to say it, but you're smart. You're also naïve – but also honest. You don't need to make that decision for any one but yourself.'

Weiss couldn't quite follow what Yang was saying – it was a little beyond her, and she was shocked that Yang could even say that with such a straight face as if she knew what she was saying. She knew what she was saying... right?

'… Right, you need to. So Weiss, what are _you_ going to do about our adorable kitty now that we know that she attacked your family's property when she was with the White Fang? I got your back – partner, just let it rip!'

But as Yang grinned, the moment was gone just as quickly as it had happened– but it left Weiss a little doubtful about what kind of person Yang Xiao Long was. Just a little – because regardless Yang was right – she needed to make a decision now, about Blake – not the White Fang, but about Blake.

The White Fang could come later – and as what Blake said – she got the chance to get all the answers she wanted.

..

'Weiss...'

Blake still looked confused but she was still willing to accept what Weiss was going to do to her and with Ruby's trust in her – she felt that she could face it head on and be proud of it. It took a while of contemplation from Weiss, but finally she did speak.

'… It's difficult, very difficult for me to say that I forgive you – Blake... you... you lied to me, and more importantly – you lied to us, even if it was a lie of omission.'

Weiss stood proud with her chin up while Blake listened. This was not a speech that she thought she had to give, at all and she had to just do it with dignity as any Schnee would do when facing a dilemma like this. A dilemma that she had to have _Yang_ of all people to help make up her mind on what to do. She would never hear the end of this and would never live this down. She almost acted out or rage, out of misunderstand, out of naivety – she would not make those mistakes again.

'Even if that lie of omission has _not_ caused us any harm, you are still guilty of breaking our trust with each other. We... are your team mates, and your friends. We are supposed to have each other's back, did you not trust us enough?'

Weiss asked with a sad smile that made Blake start to stammer out her denials, but Weiss didn't allow her to say a word as she raised a finger at her to cut her off.

'Uh uh, don't answer that... besides all that, you were a member of the White Fang, and confessed to being an accessory to a crime against my family... and as such, as the heiress of the Schnee Family and with the powers bestowed unto me by my father.'

Actually Weiss had none of the power and was simply bluffing, no one would know that though and since they were her team, they would keep it from spreading – hopefully at least.

'I, Weiss Schnee, decide that your punishment shall be to assist me in bringing in the true culprits of the crimes that were done to my family.'

Weiss crossed her arms as she waited for Blake's reply.

'Well, do you accept, Blake Belladonna?'

There, she had the same dignified look that her mother wore when dealing with those of her class – she was glad she was able to remember how she carried herself.

'I... I accept, Weiss... thank you'

Blake stuttered for a moment before she smiled in relief – this was probably better than she could have hoped for.

'And we start with our first lead – Kiritsugu... we will find him and get the truth from him. Starting tomorrow.'

Weiss gave her orders but was surprised when Ruby suddenly appeared in front of her to give her a big hug and then releasing her.

'R-Ruby, why did you do that?'

'Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU WEISS!'

The redhead was excited, and she should be, she just let Blake off for something that she could be imprisoned for the rest of the life with.

'Hmph... Don't read too much into it – it-it's not like I did it, because she's my friend...'

Weiss sniffed before turning and bumping into Yang, the blonde giving her a grin before patting her on her shoulders.

'… That was way better than my first time, at any rate.'

She whispered to Wiess before glomping Blake and pulling in the excitable Nora into the same glomp – amusing themselves by playing with Blake's ears.

'… What did she mean by that?'


	22. Chapter 22

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 22_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

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**Author's Notes: Apparently I wasn't too serious with my beta notes, should I be? Anyway I'll like to take the chance to thank XoreandoX for his help, tons of it, in both straightening out the world of PooL as well as the storyboard. Being a co-author is hard. He's also the one taking his AN seriously by giving a summary of what the chapter would be going through. Maybe I should be do that too? In any case, this chapter... Well, at least we know what Pyrrha feels about Shirou, it's about time for her to have some background for PooL, neh?**

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_ChaosVector: Well, this chapter is divided into two main points of view. Those of Shirou/Blake and Pyrrha. The latter's section may be a better part of this chapter when it comes to quantity of words, but that doesn't mean that [impact of the] former's not as important. Well, you'll just have to read it to find out for yourself. Well, that's all that I've got to say about that. Oh, I forgot to mention it on my last chapter, but welcome to the team Razy. Not that I can really say that, since I joined a few days before you..._

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_Razyangel14: Low do my eyes decieve me!? I see mighty ships setting sail upon the vast blue yonder! One whose mast is dark like ebony and whose hull is sleek and fast, and not too far is a mighty war vessel adorned with with gold and crimson who would make the mighty spartans of old proud. I pray that their journey be exciting and merry to the land of swords. But we know that the Ocean is a fickle mistress, and I pray she treat them well. hahahaha_

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**XoreandoX: Not much to say about this chapter, we've shown a bit of Shirou's reactions to Velvet's crush and how he sees relationships in the grand scheme of things at the moment. As for Pyrrha, this hopefully provides some insight into why Pyrrha in PooL is so dedicated to becoming a strong huntress. With that out of the way, enjoy the chapter and as always for the authors out there, Keep on Writing.**

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**..**

'Why didn't you tell me, or the rest that you were a Faunus?'

Shirou's question made Blake pause as all of them headed back to Beacon after an arguably exciting night's out together. For Blake it was a roller coaster of emotional drama that she didn't want to go through ever again.

But if it was Shirou who asked – she was obligated to give an answer. He was the person who had made her confident that she _could_ after all – it was kind of ironic how Shirou was _also_ the person that made her _not_ want to do so.

'… I wanted to then – when you helped Velvet with Cardin Winchester and his team. Seeing you do that - standing up for the Faunus and having everyone else help Velvet – it gave me the perfect opportunity to do that, right?'

Blake laughed a little as she slipped back to walk with Shirou, she had thought Ruby would have been the first person to chase after her. If it was Ruby who had caught up to her, she was sure that she wouldn't have recovered her wits as fast with her beloved team leader. Ruby was a dear, and she was adorable and hardworking – but Blake didn't think that Ruby could calm her down as fast as Shirou could.

Though Shirou _did _calm her down, he did so before dropping the bombshell on her after all - and Blake was still digesting Shirou's revelation about her life and her misconceptions about the Knight of Beacon. There was so much she wanted to ask – but it was not the right moment for it, perhaps later on she could give him a call with her scroll instead?

'I would have thought so – so why _didn't _you? You know that I would have supported you, team RWBY too – even Weiss, even if it did take Yang nudging her to forgive you.'

Shirou admit that he was impressed by how Yang had manipulated and navigated Weiss from several dead end conclusions to the final decision that would save the two's friendship as well as camaraderie.

'...I... I'm not sure how I feel about that, Shirou... To be honest, I am relieved and worried...'

Blake confessed with a sad smile as she stopped walking. Shirou naturally followed her lead and waited patiently for her to finish her train of thought.

'Is that really what Weiss wants? I... I don't know, but Yang she... what she did – I don't, I just... don't know why she did that.'

'Well, who knows at this point? I doubt even Ruby understands her sister all that well.'

Shirou replied with a small smile and that made Blake nod her head in agreement – Yang always seemed to be operating by the seat of her pants – and although Blake had been startled by how serious Yang had been at one point in the conversation, most of it sounded like she was just improvising it as she went along.

Blake admitted, she had felt hurt, distraught, and upset that Yang had said so many hurtful things at the start – but she was helping in her own way.

'If it was Weiss in my shoes, she would've have killed Yang before she even finished...'

Blake admitted with a smile and when Shirou gave a solemn nod in agreement – Blake couldn't help but giggle before she started walking again.

'But... Yang meant to help me, I feel bad in doubting her at the start... I was hurt too, but Yang... she works in mysterious ways.'

Blake quipped with a mischievous smile that made Shirou groan, that was a bad pun – was that even a pun at all?

Either way, she was glad that the mood was at least back to normal now.

'You didn't answer my question in the end, Blake. Why didn't you tell the rest? Did you not trust them?'

Shirou's question only made the Faunus upset again as she turned around to glare at Shirou.

'Don't say that! I would never, I trust them all! It's just...'

'It's just?'

Shirou prodded further as he was genuinely curious – an oddity to be sure, but he was just so. He would have thought that Blake _would_ have came out in the open due to him. Not that he was trying to toot his own horn – but many of the Faunus in Beacon were certainly holding their heads high and proud after his two outbursts in defense of them. And they _should_, it was their natural right as a sentient race.

'I blame you for that.'

'Blame... me?'

Shirou was confused and even more so when Blake blushed as she cleared her throat.

'Well, it really _isn't_ all your fault per se – but when you saved Velvet – I was very... well, I felt saved. I think all of the Faunus in Beacon felt that way to see someone standing up for one of us, and didn't get beaten back when they did. It's quite common for that to happen outside Vale, Shirou.'

Blake saw Shirou scowl in unhappiness at the treatment, but it was a fact of life and Blake simply smiled sadly as she continued.

'I should have told all of you then – I wanted to – but then, Velvet spoke to me, she told me how... how much she admired you, and we became friends. That, by itself should be fine... but then Velvet she told me that she was jealous of me. Of a fellow Faunus, for having made so many friends in just a few days while she didn't.'

Blake bit her lip while Shirou looked sick, and he should, the things that the poor dear had to go through was beyond terrible.

'Hearing her tell me that, I... I just couldn't tell her that I was a Faunus. How could I?'

Blake said helplessly as Shirou nodded his head in understanding. So that's why Blake couldn't just take off her ribbon – well she _could_, but she'd risk destroying her friendship with Velvet. It could be argued that it would be simpler to just tell Velvet straight off the bat – but it was a lot more complicated than that.

'She was so happy to make a friend and I was her first 'human' friend.'

Blake laughed bitterly as Shirou asked why Velvet didn't consider him as a friend.

'She wanted to, but... in the end, I think she felt that that you were above her, and that you wouldn't want to consider her as a friend. I knew that wasn't the case, and I did tell her that... but Shirou, you were too kind to Velvet... Some girls like that, some girls don't and for Velvet – the more polite you were to her, the more she felt she was a burden to you and the more you pushed her away.'

Shirou listened attentively to Blake – he didn't know that and he felt stupid because of it. It wasn't the first time that he had been called a block head or a dense idiot – Rin had been the most upfront and personal with that insult – even going to such details as to lecture him on it. Apparently he did it again – guess he still had loads to learn.

'Don't get me wrong, Shirou... you didn't mean anything bad... but Velvet... she's, not the most well-versed in social etiquette... They call you a Knight for a reason, you know?'

Blake raised an eyebrow at Shirou and the boy gave a snort before shrugging, he had gotten used to that nickname. It had been annoying at the start – but it sort of clicked – and it became a matter of pride in some way for him to be know for saving and helping other people. Maybe he might even inspire others to do the same.

'You're too polite – and... a little thick.'

Blake supplied with a small smirk that made Shirou raise an eyebrow in return as well. The two of them were far away from the others right now, and Blake knew they wanted to give some time to talk with Shirou alone– she was glad for that. There was the issue of Kiritsugu to discuss with Shirou after all.

'Why didn't any of you tell me about that. I thought we were friends.'

Blake laughed at Shirou's response, he was certainly vocal today with his words and expressive too. That was good, she was getting worried about how to break the subject with Shirou, but first – she must answer his question.

'It's part of your charm, Shirou... but to answer your question – I wanted to do that, every day, but when Velvet told me she was going to confess to you – you don't look too surprised, Shirou.'

Blake gave Shirou a teasing smile that the knight didn't return – he wasn't as dense as that – Shirou looked sad instead.

'One would be blind not to see that she has a crush on me.'

'And you won't accept her feelings. We all know that as well.'

Blake's eyes widened when Shirou actually hesitated, had the two of them been wrong? Would Shirou have accepted Velvet and went out with her?

'… Should I have been more receptive to her feelings? I know it's a crush... and I ordinarily would accept it, but if it was to help her, even if it's to boost her confidence... maybe, I could.'

Blake was floored – this boy was just too good, too much of a white knight character? Blake wasn't a fan of the classics, and her choice of literature meant that although she was an avid reader – literacy buffs would name her a heretic.

But she knew her memes, or she knew them all right.

..

'No you shouldn't, you'll hurt her more. Thank god she didn't confess to you, if you did accept her feelings and went out with her with that mindset, you'll hurt her more.'

Blake scowled as she pulled a Yang, pulling Shirou to her while hissing – yes – hissing at him angrily.

'R-Right, that's why Rin calls me a block head, sorry...'

Blake let him go after hearing that and buried her face into her hands for a moment before she raised it again to look at Shirou. The boy was scratching his head looking genuinely confused and upset – he was being truthful and Blake sighed.

'It really doesn't matter... but when Velvet told me that she was going to confess – I supported her, only for her to decide against it in the future. She's... a wreck, Shirou. Mentally and physically and she could only rely on me – a human girl who wanted to help her was enough to give her some hope. You might be a symbol of hope for the future for the other Faunus, but to Velvet... I think you were an ideal – an ideal that was hurting her. She was trying so so hard and for nothing.'

Perhaps Blake had been too harsh on Shirou – for the knight was looking pained while listening to Blake. But, she wasn't going to soften the impact for Shirou – he needed to know.

'She was pushing herself further than she _could_, I couldn't stop her... she wanted to reach you – and in the end... she didn't. I'm, at least glad that you visited her... but if she wakes -'

'She will wake up.'

Shirou cut her off and before Blake could say a word, he continued as well.

'But before she does... tell me, what can I do to help?'

Blake paused for a moment before she nodded in agreement, if it's Shirou – perhaps Velvet could still be saved before it was too late.

* * *

'Exciting day, huh?'

Pyrrha asked while giggling at Nora pouting at the already sleeping Ren. No doubt the boy was dying to catch some Z's after being out in the cold for around an hour to listen to Blake's story.

Blake had decided that it would be best for her to continue to hide her Faunus lineage from the school – though Weiss had emphatically declared that the school probably knew about it.

..

'_It would have came out sooner or later, Blake. In fact, I am certain that the school knew that you were a Faunus from the start from the medical examination that you had to go through.'_

_'B-But I didn't take off my ribbon...'_

_'I seriously doubt that you would have been able to hide from them forever, but assuming that is true – there is the mandatory medical examination for students every half a year. It would be best if you ensured your medical records were updated properly... did you forge your papers to enter the school?'_

..

Despite being the main 'threat', Pyrrha winced when she thought of that – the two of them were team mates after all.

Even though she was the main reason that Blake had to hide her identity, Weiss had ended up being the individual who could help Blake the most in straighten out her records in Blake. Team SNPR had bid goodnight to Team RWBY as they sorted out the new complication in their lives, but not before they offered their assistance to locate the White Fang member, Kiritsugu tomorrow together with them.

That would definitely be an interesting endeavor to say the least.

'By the way, Shirou – what were you talking to Blake about?'

Pyrrha's question made Shirou pause for a moment while he made his sheets, he had the odd habit of tucking that collection of blankets on his bed before sleeping. Apparently it was something he learnt from childhood after sleeping on the bed for too long. To each their own she supposed.

'Hmm... nothing much, I was trying to calm her down... Kiritsugu is the Faunus that saved me when I was a child and took care of me before I was adopted by Taiga.'

Shirou explained rather calmly but he sat down on his collection of blankets to see if Pyrrha had any response to that.

'Oh, that was surprising. Do Rin and Sakura knows about this?'

Pyrrha's response seemed to surprise Shirou and he seemed confused before scratching his head.

'I think they do, Taiga kinda likes Kiritsugu... I'm really not looking forward to knowing what happened on her end when she saw that news report.'

Shirou shivered at that and Pyrrha laughed as she got herself ready for bed as well. She was wearing a simple night gown that made it easier for her to claim her weapons, which she placed beside her. It was a habit she was used to having, and one that Shirou shared as he placed Crocea Mors beside Akio and Milo as well.

'… You're weird, Pyrrha.'

Shirou's comment made Pyrrha blink before grinning at him teasingly.

'I wouldn't be so sure – Mr. Knight, compared to you, I'm normal.'

'A normal person would... well, want to more details about what I just said.'

'About Ms Taiga? It's interesting, but if you wanted me to know more, you would've tell me.'

Pyrrha replied confidently and Shirou gave a small chuckle as he remarked that was true, and rare at the same time.

'If people understood that line of logic more – the world would be a better place... at least, I think so.'

'I'm sure you're exaggerating – and I'm surprised that you were saved by that Kiritsugu... I can't wait to meet him.'

'Assuming he wants to be found... but I'm sure Blake will find us a way.'

Shirou remarked with a shrug as he prepared to turn the lights off. In Ren and Nora's corner, the orange-haired girl was cuddling beside Ren like how she would sometimes do. She was trying, unsuccessfully, but trying nonetheless, to sleep while being full of energy.

Ren was the heaviest sleeper in the entire world as he could sleep through such a disturbance without even breaking a sweat.

It was unnatural, really, unnatural.

'Well it'll be an exciting day tomorrow, Shirou – sleep tight!'

* * *

Pyrrha Nikos was an ordinary girl – at least she believed that she was an ordinary girl with an ordinary life and ordinary family. She was pretty confident in the last part though – when she heard of the torn and nonexistent childhood and past of her friends Weiss and Blake, not to mention how Nora and Ren were just _different _along, with the bipolar personalities of the sisters Ruby and Yang, she was easily the most normal individual of Team RWBY and SNPR.

Even her team leader, Emiya Shirou wasn't what one could call normal. Though the fact that Pyrrha could be proud of being called normal, _could _be called abnormal. But at this point, she didn't care.

It wasn't supposed to end up being this way. Pyrrha had honestly believed that she would be the odd ball out of the group – hence her initial decision to just let fate decide who she would be teaming up with.

She loved a challenge – she was a Nikos, part of a line of great warriors, male and women who made their names in the Wars and in the current group of Hunters.

Within every generation there would be a group that stood out and who carved their names as legends in the history books – and as one of the few remaining families that still do - the Arc family was one, but they had fallen out a little in recent years– she was proud of her heritage.

Her family was proud of her too – as the oldest in the current generation of Nikos, she was also the strongest – having never been beaten in a fight and Pyrrha was proud and relieved about that as well.

She was sixteen, and in a few years time – she would be eligible for marriage. She was actually looking forward and dreading it at the same time.

She would like to have some control over who she marries, but the Nikos family tradition dictated that anyone who defeated a Nikos in a formal duel or challenge would be eligible to marry her.

Her cousins have arranged marriages similar to that, but there was an out for her. If she defeated her suitors, she would not be _compelled _to accept their proposal.

Thankfully, she could reject duels if they ever challenged for her hand. But the main issue was the thin pickings that she would have for potential marriage candidates.

Although they lived in a turbulent age, Pyrrha knew that there were few in her age group who _could_ defeat her in combat in the first place. Having won the last four years of the Mistral Regional Tournament was proof of that – no one could match her that easily.

Well, there was one candidate and that was her partner, Emiya Shirou. She hadn't seen the true extent of their leader's strength and if her conversation with Ren was any indication, the lazy genius had pegged him as much more formidable than he appeared to be.

Pyrrha had never even heard of someone being able or willing to fight without using their Aura and she viewed it as an act of suicide, till Shirou had nearly bested her in a training match.

She had been pretty confident that she could push Shirou – boy was she ever wrong and Pyrrha had found him unmovable like a brick wall. Hence her surprise when Yang had gotten through his guard. Perhaps she should spar with Yang to gauge the blonde's true strength as well.

All of the members of Team RWBY and SNPR were hiding their true strengths, that much was obvious and it was their still existing camaraderie that made the relationship special.

Despite everyone knowing that they were hiding their true skills – they were all comfortable in knowing that when the push came to shove – they would break out the big guns and fight for each other.

Pyrrha hoped all of them shared the same sentiments, as she would do so in a heartbeat.

As she woke up bright and early, with her internal clock waking her up at 6am per the norm, Pyrrha knew that it was still too late to catch Shirou and Nora – the two of them were out in the fields for a short run to wake themselves up.

The last time it happened, Nora had deviated from the approved running path to take out a few Grimms for 'practice', Shirou had joined her and they returned with Grimm bounties to be dropped off at Beacon's collection office.

Needless to say Beacon administrators weren't impressed, but they knew too that it was difficult to restrict students from hunting Grimms – they were an important source of income for poor students after all.

So they had the two sign indemnity forms so they wouldn't be held responsible for any incidents that would happen as a result of them deviating from the approved training grounds.

..

'… Good morning?'

Amazingly though, Pyrrha found that the two were _not_ out on their runs. Instead Shirou was speaking with Nora in hushed tones as they sat at a corner of the room.

'Ah, good morning. We're just working out who to go where later on. It's good to go in with a plan.'

Shirou replied quietly while Nora beamed back at her. Nora had some tape over her mouth – which disturbed Pyrrha as she wasn't complaining about it at all.

'She suggested it, I'm as baffled as you are.'

Shirou noticed her stare and answered before scooting to the side to give her some room, which she declined.

'I'll join you guys after I get some breakfast from the cafeteria. And we're eating something other than pancakes.'

Pyrrha gave Nora a small glare before blinking when Shirou chuckled and said that he didn't mind cooking a little.

'Only something light though – maybe french toast?'

Shirou suggested while Pyrrha considered before nodding her head.

'That would be delightful, I'll help. And Nora, you can help too.'

* * *

Pyrrha was impressed, Shirou knew his way around the academy's kitchen well and despite Nora's unique suggestions to improve the taste of their selected dish. How hard could French Toast be? Shirou still managed to make the best French Toast she had ever tasted with eggs, bread and some seasoning.

She was whisking the eggs for him as he was in charge of cooking the simple dish – and he still managed to make it look and taste good.

'I'm impressed – you make cooking look like an art.'

Pyrrha smiled at Shirou who simply shrugged and said that it was nothing big.

'I had to do so as Taiga can't cook – it's either that or eating instant noodles for the rest of my life... That or that cereal you help advertise to the masses.'

Shirou made a face at the thought of that cereal. Pyhrra laughed before turning to coax Nora to drink some water as the girl was stuffing herself. Even if she doesn't run out of energy – she still needed food and she was a _big_ eater. The mountain of French Toast was slowly being demolished by her – and if they hadn't kept some for Ren – Pyrrha knew that Nora would be the one to finish it.

The two of them didn't have that much of an appetite after all.

'I do try my hand at cooking, I'm only decent at it. Perhaps I should learn from you if you're as good with other dishes like this.'

'Ohh, Ren can cook too! Me too! I make the best milkshakes!'

Nora volunteered while Shirou looked surprised before laughing.

'Well nothing breeds skill like competition, I'd like that. It's good to know that I'm not the only person who can cook.'

Shirou replied and shook his head when Pyrrha asked about Rin and Sakura.

'Those two don't count. They're good, but they hardly stay more than a few weeks before they have to move. I'm supposed to meet them today as well... It's killing two birds with one stone – we might even be able to get them to help with tracking down Kiritsugu.'

Shirou nodded his head as he thought of his plan. He belived it would be hard to locate the Huntsman– what with all those wanted posters – but not impossible.

'Are you looking forward to seeing him again, Shirou? Kiritsugu, I mean.'

'Kind of – it's been years and although I _know_ him, I didn't really know of his name until Taiga told me about it – family politics and all, they were worried I wouldn't like the Faunus.'

Shirou gave a small snort before reaching over to wipe Nora's cheek to get rid of some leftover bread crumbs. Pyrrha smiled at that – it wasn't something bad to treat Nora as a small child at all – she certainly behaved that way and she was better behaved if they did.

No offense to the two of them, but Pyrrha felt that Shirou and Nora could be siblings the way they interacted at times.

Ren had the suffering boyfriend look – that much was at least certain.

'You really do like taking care of people, Shirou, be it protecting them or helping them. I think it's kinda cute.'

Pyrrha winked while Shirou simply nodded absentmindedly. Yeah – There was that dense part of Shirou again. But all things considering, Shirou as a life partner didn't look _too_ bad.


	23. Chapter 23

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 23_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: Right, I've been getting a lot of reviews asking me about when is Shirou going to be badass (he is already bad ass with a Tohno gland working) but I digress. In any case, what I can offer right now is that to ask for all of your patience, there are reasons why I can't detail or write anything about Shirou's past, where his origin is and whether he has any link to any of F/SN canon (HF, UBW, Fate), but I think that a lot of you have an idea on what Shirou this is, and the main questions are probably: 'Why isn't he using any form of magecraft' 'When is he going to show his skills' along those lines. I can only say: 'Read on and you'll find out.' All will be revealed soon, and there are good reasons for why Shirou isn't doing, well, whatever you guys hope he can do.**

**Damn, did I write myself in a corner?**

**Oh right - how about a popularity poll for PooL for us (the team), to know who's the most popular ship with Shirou of PooL? Tell me in your reviews if you guys would like that, and the top result will get an omake from me. I'm sure Catherine will be amused enough to help me with that~! So keep those reviews coming!**

* * *

_ChaosVector: So, in this chapter, our heroes are on the hunt for a certain Faunus... That's all I got, really. On another note, while doing my edits, I put on songs from some oldies, but goodies, as BGM: "Simple Plan", "Good Charlotte", and "Bowling For Soup". Now my favorite song of these 3 bands (disregarding my already top picks for each band: 'Welcome to My Life', 'Lifestyles of the Rich &amp; Famous', and the cover version of 'Stacy's Mom' respectively) would be Simple Plan's 'Summer Paradise'... especially the version with special guest Taka of ONE OK ROCK.  
_

* * *

_razyangel: slowly we learn more about Shirou and what better to get things started by going on a kiritsugu hunt. Not really much for me to say about this chapter except enjoy. All your questions shall be answered in due time. Have faith in the dark side._

* * *

**XoreandoX: In this chapter, we return once again to the city of Vale and begin the search for Kiritsugu in earnest. As for notes regarding to the major events that happen here, you get to see some of Yang's past come into play along with a glimpse into Shirou's past as well. Overall there isn't too much to say about this one particular chapter, so without further delay, enjoy the chapter. For all the authors out there, Keep on Writing.**

* * *

..

'Okay, so _how_ are we going to do this?'

Ruby asked patiently as the two teams gathered at the station ready for their flight to Vale. She wasn't surprised to see Shirou pulling up a map of the city for all of them to study.

'I've divided the city into sections so we can split up to try and locate him, it'll be hard, but if we get Rin and Sakura to help out...'

Shirou was about to say more when Yang raised her hand to interrupt them.

'It's okay, I got this covered. I hit up some of my contacts last night.'

Yang gave a grin as she wore her aviator glasses, making her look all that more ridiculous as she placed one hand on her hips, jutted out to the side and mimicked taking a drag of a cigarette when she popped a lollipop in her mouth.

'I hang out at the bars in Vale you know, and some of the regulars there gave me a few good ideas of where a Faunus in hiding could lay low.'

Yang explained confidently while the rest of the group looked sceptical, especially Weiss who simply did not believe her.

'Am I right to assume that you are telling us that _you_ have contacts that would allow them to pinpoint and possibly locate a suspected terrorist that is on the run from the militia force in Vale?'

Weiss declared the sheer audacity of Yang's statement to the whole group, and amazingly, Yang didn't flinch. She just grinned and said that she was awesome.

'Alright, let _me_ humor you for a while. But let me pose another addition to that statement, Yang.'

'Shoot.'

'You did that overnight.'

Weiss deadpanned in the driest tone that she could muster in the face of such a statement and _amazingly_ Yang just grinned as though it was most natural thing in the world.

..

'I know, right? I'm awesome – praise me more!'

The blonde gave Weiss a hug while the rest of group simply looked at each other in confusion – this was the second time that Yang had pulled an impossible feat in front of them – well, _maybe_, she could still be wrong. But Yang had been on the _ball_ so far and she was so confident. She was _always_ confident – yes, but that's not the point.

But admittedly, it would really be Yang's style to do something like this, Ruby for one didn't look _too_ surprised as she rubbed a hand across her forehead in exasperation, but was still prepared to trust her sister nonetheless.

The rest were more sceptical, Blake however approached the news with some trepidation and hope rolled into one.

'N-No, that is _not_ the point – why should we trust your information in the first place? For all _we_ know, you could be making it up and leading us on a wild goose chase.'

Weiss cried out as she tried to fight her way out of the bear hug that Yang had her in as the blonde pouted at her, giving her best impression of a kicked puppy face – she had learnt from the best, her sister could melt anyone when she pulled those eyes on her unsuspecting prey.

'As it'll only take a while for us to check those spots out? C'mon! You said you'd humor me here, right?'

Yang rolled her eyes while Weiss snorted before slowly nodding her head in agreement when none of her team or friends voiced any objections.

'Alright then, I'll humor you by doing just that. But if it turns out to be a flop, rest assured that we will be having lunch at your expense.'

Weiss gave her a condescending look while Yang looked scandalized.

'That's low... you just don't want to pay for your own food, Weiss...'

'T-That's not it and you know that!'

Weiss screeched and chased after Yang, who danced out of the way while making faces before the rest of the two teams shook their head and followed their lead towards the airship.

'Well, so much for a plan.'

Shirou rolled his shoulders before shrugging at Pyrrha, who gave him a sympathetic smile.

'To be fair you could have done that in your scroll so you could send it to all of us to look at. It's easier that way instead of working on it in paper – though it's still useful, since we need a map anyway.'

'Huh – really? It can do that?'

Shirou was surprised at that – and the look of incredulity on his face was enough to cause Pyrrha to laugh and shake her head.

'You're really bad with technology, aren't you, Shirou? You struggled with the scroll at the start too. How did you survive in the world before Beacon again?'

'Well, I did live in the barracks for the majority of my life -'

'No excuses, but c'mon, I'll teach you while we travel to Vale...'

* * *

When they alighted at Vale, Shirou was still fiddling with his scroll while Pyrrha tried to teach him. It was odd – the leader of team SNPR was so good when it came to anything related to weapons, dust or even warfare, but when it came to technology, he was a complete idiot.

'Well we'll try that again when we get back to Beacon...'

Pyrrha smiled encouragingly as Shirou nodded his head, looking perplexed as he tried to wrap his mind on what Pyrrha was teaching him.

'Enough flirting, we're going to decide who goes where now.'

Yang declared loudly after clearing her throat, and she pouted when the two of them simply rolled their eyes before paying attention.

'Right, my contacts were able to give us some addresses on where any fugitive Faunus _could_ be staying, the problem is that they would be _staying_, if you know what I mean.'

The group had moved to a somewhat secluded area outside of the airship docks to ensure they weren't overheard by accident. Nora raised her hands and said that she didn't – causing Yang to frown before clearing her throat again.

'Well – it means that it's stake out time. They'll be _staying_ there – but people _eat_ and no one is stupid to be holed in one spot. So we'll need to stake those places out for a few hours at least to see if we see our target. Everyone knows our target right?'

Yang tapped on her scroll to pull up the wanted posted of Kiritsugu – it was a picture that was pulled from the security cameras as he looked a little blurry, but it was Kiritsugu alright.

'We don't have a good picture of him, and worse – everyone on the run would do their best to change their appearances if they know they're being hunted, so... we have to be in close proximity to find them. Unless you have a better idea, Weiss, Blake?'

Yang asked the other two of their input and waited for them to consider the question. After a while, Weiss shook her head while biting her lip in frustration at how Yang had thought of all the important points.

Blake considered for a bit longer till she volunteered that it might be good for them to know how Kiritsugu looked like.

'When did you last see Kiritsugu, Blake?'

Shirou asked quietly and Blake bit her lip before she replied.

'It's been a few years since I last saw him.'

'Then it's best if we take your sketch with some reservations. It's likely that he would have changed his appearance like what Yang said earlier. Do you have any idea of his preference for clothing? Perhaps a favorite jacket, or a working suit?'

Shirou suggested while Blake considered all of Shirou's points. Her contemplation however was cut short when Yang suddenly started caressing the bow on top of her head – the one she used to hide her Faunus ears, and one she always _guarded_, so how?!

'Woah you're really out of it today, Blake. Or might you be comfortable with us knowing, huh?'

Yang gave her a bright and happy smile that made Blake return it with some wariness – Yang had been... odd since yesterday.

'Anyway, think Kiritsugu would wear bows too?'

Blake couldn't help herself, she snorted at the image and soon all of them were giggling as Yang grinned and winked at her.

Mission accomplished maybe?

* * *

'So – any luck guys?'

Yang gave a groan as she tuned into the channel that all of the team members were tuned into with her scroll. Besides being an awesomely useful device in studying and social networking, the scroll was also able to function as a mini-receiver and transceiver to allow them to set up communication channels with each other.

Yang had come prepared as she had passed all of them microphones that they could wear and conceal easily – Team RWBY were the ones to actually design the microphones after Ruby declared her desire to set up a network for them to communicate in the field.

They hadn't put that into practice during the disaster at Forever Fall, but since then had kept the devices on their person in case they needed to use them in a pinch.

Unfortunately the team only had microphones for their own team and as a result each member of team RWBY were teamed up with one of their counterparts in Team SNPR.

Ruby had Pyrrha, Blake had Shirou, Weiss had Ren and Yang had Nora.

..

Yang liked the energetic girl, but she was awful at stakeouts due to her short attention span and after a quick consultation of a local, had plopped the two at a dessert shop that was located in view of one of the potential hideouts for Kiritsugu.

Nora was currently stuffing her third cake as she played with her scroll quietly. Yang was thankful for that at least as after Ren and Shirou had explained to her the importance of staying quiet – and trying not to attract attention, Nora had done her best to do that by simply occupying herself with her scroll. No doubt she was bugging the rest of her team – but at least Yang knew Nora knew her own weaknesses and how to deal with them.

'Nothing regarding the target, however we did see several Faunus sneak into the building through the windows and not the front door. Yang's information seem to be right on the money.'

Weiss reported with a slight edge in her voice – Yang had gotten her good again and the blonde chuckled to herself.

'What's wrong, Yang? Did they find him?'

Nora looked up with a smile and promptly went back to her scroll when Yang shook her head. The splitting of teams hadn't been perfect, for one Yang would've really liked it if Shirou had been on the same team as her but it balanced the teams out as well.

Weiss and Ren were quite a good match with each other as the quiet but crazy smart boy could deal with the heiress easily. He was quiet enough to not get in her way – and smart enough to correct some of the naivety of the heiress.

Ruby with Pyrrha also made sense – her sister needed the easy going and calm woman to keep her in line and to start negotiations if necessary.

That left only Shirou and Nora left to be paired up with and when Blake asked if she could be with Shirou – the two of them were going out to scout the entirety of Vale instead – the pairing had been decided.

The two of them were the ones who knew Kiritsugu by sight, knew of his habits and Blake might be able to smell him as well. That was kind of cheating by the way – so it made sense for the two of them to be out looking around Vale instead.

So Yang was stuck with Nora, and she was hoping for some action as the two of them were great as a team when it came to combat as their styles were similar, the two of them had no qualms with causing rampant destruction as as their means to victory. Maybe they would end up fighting a group of burglars instead?

* * *

'Here?'

Shirou asked patiently as the two of them landed on yet another rooftop and upwind, Blake had her clones go around town as well while trying to locate Kiritsugu. Stealth and speed were the key here and Shirou had been keeping up with her easily as they jumped from building to building – he was putting faith in her nose.

It was kind of flattering actually, and a relief that she didn't need to convince someone else about her abilities.

'No... there are no Faunus in this area, surprisingly.'

Blake looked down at the fish market that they were looking over and blushed when Shirou gave a lopsided grin that smelled of teasing. But he didn't as he stood up, preparing himself to jump to another location.

'It's nearing lunch time, so let's clear this block and circle back just to check. Kiritsugu is a wolf Faunus, so he might be passing the market at any rate to buy meat?'

'But Kiritsugu does have taste for fine dining and always did dislike cooking... but he always paid for it with his own salary.'

Blake replied as they leapt to another building, chatting about Kiritsugu.

'With the bounties that we received from Never Fall, we could pick out a good restaurant to stake out later during lunch.'

Shirou offered and after a moment where Blake relayed the message – she nodded as the others seemed fine alright with the suggestion.

'Yang was proposing we take an hour's break at least – but I was hoping to wait a little longer before we start – Kiritsugu might only eat when the crowd is scant.'

'Or he could be trying to blend in with the crowd – it is difficult to spot one man from another if one is busy, and we know the lunch hour is packed. We'll only know when we meet him. He hardly seems like the kind to care whether he was hunted or not though.'

Shirou replied patiently as Blake sniffed the air, looking disappointed as although there were traces of Faunus scents, none of them matched the one she remembered from Kiritsugu.

'Besides – we have no idea how he's hiding his faunus ears. Bows maybe?'

Shirou's joke made Blake choke and she had to cup a hand over her mouth at that incredulous image.

'Are you teasing me, Shirou? Yang already pulled that joke.'

'Hardly – that is a perfectly viable way of hiding one's identity. However, that begs the question as it depends on where the ears are – would it be one, or two bows on his head?'

Blake snorted this time as she found herself clutching her stomach to try and suppress the pain as Shirou watched her amusement with a smile.

'Okay.. stop, you're not allowed to make those jokes again. That was bad.'

'Bad in a good way, I take it. Let's go.'

* * *

Blake knew that Shirou was a Knight, he had displayed a lot of the manners that had made Weiss very happy – and satisfied on the first day of their orientation at Beacon.

She had expected that – but she was embarrassed by how Shirou was treating her as he escorted her to her seat in the fine dining restaurant that he had picked for her.

With him gently taking her hand, even pulling the seat out for her. Shirou made Blake feel like a princess as he was a perfect gentleman to her, making small talk as their waiter handed the two of them the menu.

'I have no idea what to order here, Shirou.'

Blake admitted with a blush, hoping Shirou would decide for her to save her further embarrassment but alas he didn't. Although he did manage to help save her face by giving some recommendations for her, pointing out several options patiently while their server added on his recommendations as well.

'This is hardly a romantic dinner date, but I hope it would do.'

Shirou said patiently when the server left with their orders and he endured a sharp look from Blake as she wondered whether Shirou was being sarcastic. He wasn't and Blake relaxed as she leaned back on her chair like Shirou did – soaking in the atmosphere a little before shuddering.

..

'Actually...no, I'm not used to this, and... I just can't relax – we're here for a reason. And... well, I can't really smell him here. We should leave this place, it's too fancy for me.'

Blake confessed while blushing, she imagined that Weiss would enjoy this place – perhaps Yang as well. She could already imagine Weiss giving Ren a hard time, or perhaps enjoying herself as Ren did carry himself decently when he wanted to.

Just thinking of Nora and Yang in a dinner like this made her laugh though and when Blake told Shirou what she was thinking about, he joined her.

'I can safely say that Pyrrha would be teaching Ruby how to order and how to have proper etiquette right about now.'

Shirou admitted with a smile while Blake laughed, clutching her stomach until she calmed down by drinking a sip of water.

'I guess so, that's pretty true... dining etiquette has never really been part of my life, even now.'

Blake admitted softly and Shirou waited for her to look at him before he replied.

'Because of your time with _them_, it can't be helped... You can't run from the past – you have to face it. And, this is a good opportunity to do so.'

Shirou smiled as he too took a sip of water.

'You _always_ know what to say, don't you, Shirou... it's kind of disturbing somehow.'

Blake asked softly as she leaned on the table, resting her elbows on it while propping her chin up with her hands.

'I know some of the girls don't want to say it, but I would... You... you just have an answer to everything – it is freaky, Shirou. It's like... you are much older than us...I don't know, that's what I feel.'

Blake probed Shirou as the Knight looked back at her, consolidating his own thoughts before he gave a sad smile to her.

'You're not wrong there. You see a lot in the barracks... and life isn't really...'

Shirou paused, unsure how to phrase it as Blake latched on to his words. If not for Velvet, one of her her closest friends, she would definitely be into Shirou, there was just this familiarity about him. She also knew that Yang would be dying to have a chance to know more about this mysterious man, there was so much about him that didn't make sense or he just didn't feel that he needed to explain.

'A bed of roses? I've seen many things... and I've made my share of mistakes.'

Shirou paused again before snapping his fingers as if realizing something, but he was still a little melancholic as he replied Blake.

'Like Ruby, I was forced to grow up fast – and I had to – it's not easy living in a never-ending war. I think you can understand that, Blake.'

Blake did and she nodded in understanding. She was born up participating in protests but Shirou was born in an endless war with the Grimm, in a society where violence was normal, much more than she had to go through.

'But what about relationships? How do you cope with that?'

Blake smiled teasingly as Shirou leaned back a little in surprise.

'Why do I seem to have experience in that?'

'Because you do? There are so many girls after your heart, Shirou, if you say you never noticed, I am not buying it... you had to. You just... ignored it, or like with Velvet, you're... not really... looking for one, are you?'

Blake flushed as she finished, she was totally not looking to see whether Shirou was single and eligible, but it had ended up this way. She blamed the atmosphere, she really did.

'… I never really thought about it... It's difficult enough to handle being a team leader as well as a student of Beacon. If I do, it wouldn't be fair to whoever I'm seeing.'

Shirou replied after considering while Blake raised an eyebrow, calling him out on that.

'That's what every single guy says – be honest with me, Shirou.'

Shirou didn't look too bothered as he sipped his drink before crossing his hands and looking at Blake.

'I'm... not the best at reading emotions, or the feelings of others... It's a side effect... Rin has told me about that – maybe even to you guys.'

Shirou admitted with a perfectly blank face as Blake just watched him, confused at how he was able to say it so easily.

'Many times I _am_ wrong, and at the start it was like that. I could never tell what someone was feeling, why someone felt that way – that's... how it was like for me, for a while. Rin helped, Sakura helped... everyone at the barracks helped me to know, to feel, I guess?'

Shirou rolled his shoulders while Blake continued staring at him, at how easily he was sharing this heartbreaking story with her.

'And over time – I understood, but still it's hard... so I guess, to cope, I conditioned my answers? I'm not saying I don't understand... or feel, it's just, I can't respond to them that well... I guess I picked the answers from Taiga or the rest of the guys at the barracks.'

That, made a lot of sense for Blake – Shirou's response did seem too, coordinated and thought out to be, well, normal.

'But, do you mean all those words that you said? Or did...'

'You just respond for the sake of it' went unsaid, but Blake was hoping, really praying that was not the case.

'I do...'

Shirou replied softly, a contented smile as he leaned back and looked at Blake. His warm gaze made Blake flushed again as her heartbeat raised at seeing him smiling at her. What was wrong with her?!

'And I couldn't be happier that I could at least tell others what I feel now.'

He looked so content and happy that Blake had to drink a sip of water to stop _gawking _at him, lest he felt she was weird. That would never do.

'I-I erm... am happy for you...'

Blake blushed as she turned to look around her instead, praying for the server to come and save her.

'I really am, Shirou! Really!'

* * *

As the two of them dug into lunch, which was really terrific, Blake was amused and entertained by Shirou going all technical about how he presumed the dish was cooked.

'You're really good in the kitchen then, Shirou? Is it a hobby?'

'Yes... but one that I can't quite indulge in Beacon, it's complicated. But if I have the chance, I would like to cook for all of you.'  
Shirou nodded while Blake dug into her fish, Shirou had been thoughtful enough to highlight the seafood menu for her and the catch of the day, buttered and filleted. It had a nice and creamy flavor. She liked it very much indeed.

'I'm looking forward to it then, if it's anything close to this.'

Blake smiled before noticing Shirou puffing his chest out proudly in response.

'I'm way better than -'

Shirou paused when he noticed Blake suddenly started looking around whlie sniffing the air – it appeared she caught the scent of the one they were looking for today. Guess they got lucky, because at the moment Kiritsugu stepped into the restaurant in full view of the two of them.

'Guess we'll have to finish this conversation another time, Blake.'


	24. Chapter 24

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 24_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**wrathie: uhh.. I've been taking a sabbatical from PooL to focus on other fandoms, as well as /freaking/ out over my classes along with work. So yeah, I'm on edge, even if no one might realize it. Oh well - shoot me, when I'm down why won't you?**

**In other news - I have my reservations about how well I'll actually be able to portray Kiri here, guess it works out in the end. And about that shipping flag, blame Catherine for it, she somehow made it make sense in the long run. But PooL will keep on chugging on if you keep those reviews coming - and since there isn't much interest in the poll, I won't be putting it up, so my apologies about that. I think I shipped enough with Catherine's influence =P**

* * *

_ChaosVector: I'm just gonna be immature for a moment and say that Kiritsugu's second title was suggested by yours truly during a discussion of possible titles for him. I played one of the "Devil May Cry" games and "Tales of Vesperia" some days before the discussion so it [the title] just came into mind… Anywho, to all those Shirou x Blake shippers out there, you might like this chapter._

* * *

__  
_Razyangel: Well for all you followers of the "Black Knight"… I for one had to repeatedly headbutt a wall just to stop smiling whilst reading this chapter…. you'll know exactly what I mean, so read on and enjoy. T'was destined by fate!_

* * *

**XoreandoX: For this chapter the one thing that bothered me the most was coming up with Kiritsugu's title, and in the end we decided on two different ones, one given to him by the Humans and another given to him by the Faunus. Hopefully you guys will see what the subtle differences are when he is called by his second title. Now as for the major event that most of the readers will be interested in, the betrothal; despite what many of you will no doubt believe, the arrangement between Taiga and Kiritsugu arranged for the betrothal was for more than just shipping Blake and Shirou together as you will find out in later chapters. Finally, you guys start to see just how different Sakura is in comparison to her Nasuverse counterpart in this chapter.**

* * *

..

'Mind if we join the two of you?'

Shirou asked politely as the two of them approached the table that Kiritsugu, along with another Faunus, a blonde with what looked like a monkey tail; sitting together at the end of the restaurant.

Kiritsugu's eyes narrowed and Shirou noticed his hand twitched, he probably kept his weapon in reach at all times in case of a situation like this happening.

'Kiritsugu?'

Blake cut the chit chat by smiling and walking closer to him – Shirou didn't recommend that path of action but the look of happiness and relief from Blake made him refrain from pulling her back. Kiritsugu was a skilled Huntsman and it was never a good idea to surprise a huntsman, especially when the two of them were unarmed.

'Who are – Blake...'

Kiritsugu's eyes softened when he recognized her and Shirou let go of the breath that he had been holding as Blake reached out to embrace the other Faunus.

Kiritsugu was dressed in a neatly ironed black tuxedo while wearing a beret to cover his wolf ears, and just like Blake had surmised, no one gave the well dressed and well shaven gentleman a second look when he was shown to the table. When in doubt, take refuge in audacity. no one would expect a wanted criminal to appear in a high class dining establishment at any rate.

Kiritsugu's companion though was close to what others would view the Faunus as, a group of rabble who weren't capable of etiquette, carefully formed rules of the higher class.

It was something that bothered Shirou and if not for Rin drilling those rules into his head, he would have agreed. Nevertheless, Shirou admitted that if Kiritsugu's disguise was flawless, the other Faunus just stood out with his attempt to look neat and failing.

For one, no one would wear jeans with a dress shirt in a place like this, no matter how nicely ironed and pressed they were. Or with a tie... it just wasn't right.

Still he at least put some effort into dressing the part, behavior wise he did not even care.

'Woah, who's the chick old man? She's hot!'

..

The Faunus gave a saucy wink to Blake who didn't even notice as she was still hugging Kiritsugu, so much was her mix of emotions that she couldn't think or act clearly after seeing her father-figure again.

Kiritsugu, however, gave him a sharp look that Shirou returned with a calm one as he bowed to him.

'It has been many years, Kiritsugu – it's not surprising that you might have forgotten me. You dropped me off with Taiga when I was a child, I am Shirou.'

Shirou answered softly and the look of recognition from Kiritsugu made him smile as the man studied him.

'I see, so you've grown up, just like Blake has. Good, good... why don't you two join us…? Sun, sit with Shirou, let me sit with my daughter.'

Kiritsugu coughed discreetly as he nudged the other Faunus with his elbow – causing him to scowl before he leapt over the table and settling down at the seat opposite of Kiritsugu. The older Faunus pulled Blake to sit beside him when it became apparent that the girl was not going to let go of him any time soon.

'So the two of you know Kiritsugu eh? Nice to meet you, I'm Sun Wukong, it's a pleasure to meet you man!'

Sun gave a grin and offered Shirou a hand, who took it and shook his hand firmly in return.

'Emiya Shirou, it's a pleasure meet you as well.'

'Oh... I didn't think you would take up this old man's name, Shirou. I thought you were given the name Fujimura?'

Kiritsugu spoke up suddenly in confusion while Shirou simply shrugged in reply.

'I didn't want that unnecessary attention. Taiga got enough after she took charge when she was like fourteen.'

'That's right. So the old man really retired then...?'

'He did after Taiga took over. She brought me everywhere, taught me the ways of the sword and shield too.'

Shirou shared some of his stories with him while Sun just listened with his eyes growing larger and wider. Blake, well, she was still snuggled against Kiritsugu. Was Shirou ever so glad that he had told the rest that they were going to speak with Kiritsugu first before reporting back.

This was going to take a while.

..

'That's pretty rad there man, you and I should hang out some time! You make _my_ stories sound lame!'

Sun chuckled as the server brought them their refreshments while Kiritsugu laughed.

'A chip off the old block, eh Kiritsugu? I can't call you dad since Taiga would kill me, she still has a crush on you.'

Kiritsugu seemed taken aback for a moment before he squeezed his forehead in exasperation.

'I can't believe she haven't gotten over that yet. It has been at least ten years... I am not fit for her.'

'That's not what Taiga thinks, she's looking for you... and that news report must have made her even more desperate.'

Shirou was just saying the truth and relaying the news to Kiritsugu who gave a small groan as well before he seemed to remember the weight that was Blake on his shoulder.

'Chip off the old block indeed... Blake and you, well, you know who Blake is?'

'Blake Belladonna... she's a classmate of mine. She wanted to look for you, we helped.'

Shirou offered with a touch of wariness – he didn't like how Kiritsugu was smiling at him.

'I adopted her – she could be legally called Emiya Blake – but it would bring complications.

'… What kind of complications?'

'I don't think it would be a complication in a few years' time seeing as she's your fiancé and all...'

Shirou froze at the news, while Sun simply laughed. Blake sat up straight immediately, her face red while Kiritsugu muttered.

'You made quite the impression on her when you saved her life back then, so much that she asked if she could be your wife someday. Taiga thought it was cute so we decided to write up a betrothal contract for the two of you.'

Shirou would face fault if he would make it look dignified and the way Blake was flushing before she buried her face into Kiritsugu's chest.

'… That's a surprise, I wasn't aware of this.'

Shirou fought the urge to facepalm, to blush, and to walk away all at the same time and he succeeded by simply giving a small sigh in response. Crocea Mors would_ never_ let him hear the end of this – speaking of which, she had been silent for a long time.

**Well, you told me that I shouldn't talk unless you allowed me to, darling...**

Right, there was that. At least there was peace and quiet in his mind, not to mention he didn't think that Crocea Mors would follow his order so well.

**Well I always thought that darling there likes his girls submissive~**

That's enough of that train of thought.

* * *

..

'So why are you here, dad?'

Blake blushed when she referred to Kiritsugu as her father but the smile that appeared on Kiritsugu, not to mention how he was petting her ears made her smile happily.

'I thought he was your father-figure, Blake?'

Shirou shot back, looking slightly annoyed after Sun had not stopped to tease the two of them – he was just glad that the others weren't here to listen to him ramble about how he was so lucky to get engaged to a hot girl like Blake. Sun's words, not his, not that he would ever tell Blake that.

'It's not wrong, a father-figure could still be a father.'

Blake reiterated with a blush while Kiritsugu just sighed – bringing the tension back up again.

'You suspect that we are behind the robbery of the Dusts, don't you?' Kiritsugu continued while narrowing his eyes at the two of them.

'… I didn't, but all the evidence... it had to be our comrades.' Blake hurriedly try to defuse the tension as she shot a nervous look at Shirou as Kiritsugu replied patiently.

'Ex-comrades, I left the White Fang years ago after the new leader took charge... He just wanted Faunus to rule over the world, no matter what it took.'

Blake immediately looked downcast. He did, however look at Shirou to gauge his response, of which there was none. The boy simply nodded his head in understanding. Kiritsugu wasn't sure whether he did that because he didn't care, or because it didn't surprise him.

If it was the latter, Kiritsugu had to be very careful around the boy who could have been his son. Then again, if he truly was like – both possibilities would apply at the same time.

'So why are you here? I would've hunted you down a few years ago to see how you were doing but you went off the grid. Taiga was trying to contact you for the past few years – and now you reappeared here just when the robberies begin? Are you trying to stop them?'

Shirou asked patiently while Kiritsugu relaxed and gave him a smile.

'Yes and no. It's not that complicated and yet it is. We're not trying to stop the robberies, we're trying to track down Roman Torchwick and his sponsor. His next hit is here in Vale. We're hoping to take him down now. The White Fang is working with them to steal Dust. For what, I'm uncertain... but any operation that requires such a large supply of Dust is not good.'

Now this was the Kiritsugu that he knew. Shirou recognized the hardening of his eyes as he spoke of hunting down another individual for the sake of his ideals. He was seeking to save and protect, wasn't he?

'To save the Faunus under their lead, or to save the people from whatever they're planning to do with all that Dust?'

Shirou's question surprised Kiritsugu and the man gave him a calculating look before replying curtly.

'Is there a difference?'

There it was, the reason why he worshipped the man to some extent. No one could shake his ideals, it was just that, and the need for it to be done, no matter the cause…. or the cost.

This was Emiya Kiritsugu. That's why he wore the name of Emiya Shirou so proudly.

'No there isn't.'

He agreed while smiling back at him and father-figure with son shared the same smiles before Blake coughed and cleared her throat.

'Well... if it would prove that the White Fang is being manipulated - we would be helping you, dad.'

Blake declared quietly and Kiritsugu nodded his head cautiously before asking who would be helping.

'My team of course, and Shirou's as well.'

* * *

'It would be difficult to persuade the others, Blake.'

Shirou replied patiently as the two of them walked towards the meeting point with the others. Kiritsugu hadn't seemed too pleased that there would be more that would be helping. This was a mission about stealth and speed after all, Shirou knew one particular individual who was the complete opposite of these traits.

He hadn't been pleased when Blake relayed that Weiss had wished to speak with him as well. He hadn't taken that name better when Blake recounted Weiss's story to him but had relented when he knew that the one who wanted answers was the child whom he found in the mansion then.

'We have to try... we just have to get two more to come with us and the rest be placed as back-up?'

Blake asked while they walked towards the square together, the rendezvous with Kiritsugu would be at a later time and a different place. Shirou had his doubts whether they would be able to find Kiritsugu if he was alone, but with Sun, it was more than possible.

Speaking of Sun, the other Faunus was apparently tagging along with Kiritsugu to help the Legendary Fenrir.

It turns out that Kiritsugu, even if he was branded as a terrorist due to his open leadership position in the White Fang, was still a legend amongst the Faunus and humans alike for his skills as a Huntsman.

He was just that damn good and that was partly why he got along well with all the militia and freelancing Huntsmen that he worked with or seen the results of his work before.

'You're being driven mainly by your emotions, Blake. You should think about this rationally... First thing we need do is to tell them what we learned before we decide who will be taking part in the reconnaissance mission. Ren and Ruby would be the best choice since the two of them possess the speed, as well as the patience, to assist them.'

'I would be good too...'

Blake actually pouted and Shirou gave a sigh to Blake who was probably dizzy with excitement at seeing her father again. The Faunus girl must be extremely lonely if she was behaving so out of character like this... or she could just have a crush on Kiritsugu like Taiga– a very strong one at that.

'… You really admire Kiritsugu, I didn't expect that.'

'W-Well, he was the only person many of us could look up to. A Faunus that even humans respected and feared – just seeing him again made me remember why I want to become a Huntress.'

Shirou winced when he heard that. Was it a curse of some kind? Yet another individual that was affected by his desire to save and to protect. What were the odds of this happening in the first place?

Apparently quite high if he was a factor, first there was Ruby and now Blake... who was next, Yang? Ren? Weiss? This was getting close to ridiculous.

'I see, well there are the others now. Brace yourself, Blake.'

* * *

..

'I demand to see him _immediately_.'

Weiss demanded the moment Blake shared with them that they had spoke with Kiritsugu without even listening to the rest of the story from her team mate. It left Blake feeling a little deflated and frustrated at how unreasonable her friend was. But then again, she was understandably upset at being given the chance to find the truth about her family's death, only to be told to wait.

'That's... going to be hard. We will be meeting him later today, but he has to make preparations for the stake out that we will be helping him with.'

Blake admitted, which caused Weiss to shriek at her in disbelief.

'You let that, terro- person, go just like that? What if he runs now? Yang said it herself – he might be playing you, Blake.'

Weiss shot a look at Yang who just looked confused before snapping her fingers.

'I didn't say that – but let's just say that I did and move on.'

It was a smart move from Yang while the rest of the team just looked on uncomfortably at how Weiss was being becoming more and more unreasonable as she berated Blake for trusting Kiritsugu so much.

'That's enough, Weiss. Kiritsugu is Blake's adopted father, and there's no reason for her to doubt him after seeing how much he doted on her earlier.'

Shirou placed a hand on Weiss's shoulders to get the heiress to stop pushing her luck, it still touched a nerve as Weiss opened her mouth to protest before she swallowed her arguments down again.

'… So do you vouch for him as well, Shirou.'

'Yes I do, he has a reputation of being a man of his word and I sincerely doubt that he would risk her daughter's safety in this manner. He also knows that Blake promised to hunt him down if he doesn't show up.'

Shirou chuckled but he noticed that Weiss was for some reason getting more worked up before she sighed.

'I really hope so. Very well I will let this incident slide... Just this once, but next time, please do consult with all of us before you make a decision like this.'

Weiss crossed her arm as she looked from Shirou to Blake – who looked relieved and a little sheepish.

'I thought that keeping our line of communications a secret from the two would be more prudent in the event that they do betray us. I suppose you wish to join us for tonight's stake out?'

'Stake out? Why do we have to do that?' Weiss snapped again, looking quite annoyed while Shirou tried to placate her.

He exchanged looks with Blake before the Faunus gestured for Shirou to explain and the Knight sighed before rolling his shoulders and picking the right words to explain to them.

* * *

'I would like to have Ren accompany us, is that fine Weiss?'

Shirou requested and the lazy boy looked at him, which caused Shirou to do the same till he nodded his head quietly. Ren would be a good person to have his back – and honestly he could use him to try and pick the bones of Kiritsugu's plans.

'Well I'm not sticking this one out. How about the rest of us do a patrol around the other Dust shops as well? I mean, Blake's dad did say that they might have pinpointed one Dust shop that they might target, right? There are plenty of other shops, we might as well cover our bases.'

Yang suggested and the rest agreed as the moved from the park where they had initially gathered towards the city area again to plan what they were going to do later on.

'I have to meet Rin and Sakura in a bit, I'm running late as it is...'

Shirou said sheepishly and he blanched when Pyrrha gave him a knowing smile.

'Well they gave me a call to check on you and said that they expect to see you at their hotel as soon as possible. They also invited me as well. So, shall we go now?'

Pyrrha gave the others a questioning look and when there were no objections, Pyrrha pulled Shirou away to meet up with the other two girls from his childhood.

'Ruby, as the remaining team leader of the two, I'm appointing you as the chairman, set the agenda and draw the plans! Do it!'

Yang pumped her hand in the air as they headed towards an ice-cream parlor at Ruby's request. The redhead rubbed her chin before nodding her head and agreeing.

'Okay, let's work out the patrol route for everyone then.'

* * *

..

'You're late, Shirou!'

Rin screamed at him when the two of them rang the door to their hotel room and Shirou got a pillow in his face for his troubles by the more hot-tempered sister.

'Well at least she shows that she cared today, good afternoon Shirou, Pyrrha.'

Sakura rolled her eyes as she smiled sweetly at the two of them. Rin had at this moment, mounted Shirou and started shaking him by the collar of his shirt as Pyrrha entered the room while shaking her head.

'My word, the two of you have certainly been working hard.'

Pyrrha commented as she saw the white board, drawings, and many newspaper clippings that were plastered all over it. Even the tables and walls were not spared, as Sakura invited her to have a seat.

'Sister doesn't like it when her things are stolen, this is the first theft ever recorded to be done to the Tohsaka family under Rin's charge and it's our fault. We were here to install the defences for the store, but we were unable to set all of them up before the thieves struck. They knew what they were doing at least.'

Sakura gave a long suffering sigh as Rin finally finished disciplining Shirou and was pulling him into the room like a beaten puppy.

'And let that be a lesson to you, Shirou – you don't make me wait for you.'

'That's right, Shirou, boys should never make a girl wait.'

Sakura too gave her a warning shake of her fingers as Shirou crawled to his feet while scratching his head.

'I said I was sorry, didn't I? I met Kiritsugu and I lost track of time.'

'Hmm... Kiritsugu, the main suspect of the robbery of our Dust stores? That Kiritsugu?'

Rin's voice held edge to her and Shirou immediately raised both hands up to try and placate the woman who looked like she was about to kill Shirou.

'Sis, please calm down, Shirou isn't the type to help a bad person. You should know that, and besides, we know what Kiritsugu was like... he isn't that kind of person.'

Sakura admonished her temperamental sister while Pyrrha gave a nervous chuckle. She might not have lost in combat before, but from the stories that Ren had shared with her, the two of them were the most destructive women of their generation. The last thing she wanted to do was see the power of the two them had in person.

'He's not the culprit, he told me... and I believed him. Kiritsugu wouldn't do something like that. He said it was someone else. Someone who went by the name of Roman Torchwick.'

'Roman Torchwick, huh? So that international criminal strikes again... and Kiritsugu is the Huntsman that you were always harping about before, right? And the person who saved us once too... well, I guess we do owe him that at least.'

Rin gave Shirou a shrewd look while the boy cleared his throat and looked embarrassed.

'Well he was the person who saved me and took care of me for a while – even if the Fujimura's never told me his name until I asked Taiga.'

'You're surprisingly dense aren't you? Even we know his name, Emiya Kiritsugu right? You should know the history of everyone you make friends with after all.'

Rin stuck her nose proudly in the air while Pyrrha thumped her fist into her open palm in understanding.

'So that's why you called yourself Emiya Shirou instead of Fujimura Shirou. I was wondering why… Wait, you go through the history of all the people you meet?!'

Pyrrha turned, looking scandalized at Rin who noticed her slip up as she cupped her hands in front of her mouth.

The younger of the Tohsaka sisters gave the other a deadpan look before sighing and offering some tea to their guests.

'And there you go again, Rin. Why can't you ever control yourself when Shirou is around. Ah speaking of which, would you like some tea Shirou, Pyrrha?'

Sakura's voice was cold and dripping with venom and with a hint of warning, both for Rin and Pyrrha as she moved towards the kettle. As the two girls nodded their head in fear, Shirou just looked expectantly at Sakura.

'Yes, Shirou, I practiced hard. I hope you'll like it. If you had arrived a little later, it would've been cold.'

And with that Shirou was nodding his head, mirroring the two women as she served them tea. Sakura truly is a fearsome woman indeed.

..

'We could really use your help in catching the man who stole our dust, Shirou. It's not the dust itself that we are concerned about, it's our reputation!'

'And the insurance prices.'

Sakura added with a scowl, and that made the Huntsman and Huntress look at her while Rin nodded her head in agreement.

'That too – you have no idea how much the premium went up just because of that! We were barely making even in that shop in the first place!'

'I'm glad to see that the two of you still have your priorities in order. And yet you're both staying at the grand suite of this hotel, why?'

Shirou retorted dryly while the two sisters blushed and looked guiltily to the side.

'Perhaps we should let them finish, Shirou?'

Pyrrha offered, a little amused at the byplay and the familiarity between the three of them. She felt a little jealous too, why couldn't her team be as normal as the three? Yeah, she should take that back. The two sisters were hardly normal as well.

'Yes, that's right! Anyway, we want that guy caught and we want to know _how_ he got past our wards. We only set the rudimentary wards that only our family knows about, but he _still_ got away safely.

'Just a question, how dangerous are the wards that you have setup, Rin? You seem confident that they wouldn't be able to get away if it was up.'

Pyrrha asked and was greeted with Rin crossing her arms proudly at her.

'Well if they triggered the wards that I set up, they would be at the least paralysed for the better half of two hours. We didn't set the heavy duty ones yet as those take a lot of time to prepare. Those wards _will_ kill, we protect our dust and our money with lethal force.'

'It's part of the slogan for our next foray into the security business, Shirou. 'Lethal Force, it is necessary for your protection.' What do you think? Or maybe... 'Controlled Destruction – guaranteed and assured by the Tohsaka Sisters''

Sakura smiled winningly as she dug around for a leaflet while Pyrrha recoiled. Shirou thought about it before shaking his head in despair.

'What happened to the two sweet girls that I kn- urk!'

It wasn't Rin who was in front of him this time, it was Sakura and the hand that was placed deceptively on Shirou's arm freaked the man out.

'I beg your pardon, Shirou. I must have misheard, what did I just hear you insinuate?'

'N-Nothing, I swear!'

As Shirou squeaked in response – Rin just chuckled lightly while Pyrrha paled – yes, her team was much saner than these two at least.


	25. Chapter 25

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter 25_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

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**wrathie: Ok, so I got a record of 3 reviews this time telling me to drop the mystery of Shirou's magus background, I think I replied to two of them. I believe I mentioned that I would cover them eventually, and that we'll give you reasons why we didn't raise it, or why Shirou hasn't used it. But apparently that's not good enough for people, is it that important for Shirou to use his magecraft, does it define Shirou? I know in many ways it does, but it's not just his magecraft that makes him Shirou, but I suppose he hasn't been pulling his weight in that direction too much as well. There are moments for Shirou, but I guess all my reader is waiting for UBW, projection and tracing, but I can honestly say for a fact that I haven't even reached that milestone for it to be revealed /yet/. But I'll just declare, officially, in what they call word of god: yes, Shirou can use magecraft, and yes he can use projection and tracing, it's just that in PooL canon, he is perhaps more proficient with Crocea Mors as he, well, has experience with it. As to /why/ he is not showing that talent… wait should I even reveal that? Read on, and you'll get the answer.**  
**Oh about the new cover, it's commissioned by myself for PooL and done by eudetenis, she did a great job with it. I hoped that all of you could see the original art though.. I'll see if I can get the link from her soon. The blonde, it's Crocea Mors~ Like her? She's adorable and cute, not exactly the seductress, but it's also a plus I guess.**  
**In Chapter 25, we were delayed due to IRL problems, so only XoreandoX would be betaing and looking through, and per the norm, feedback would be appreciated.**

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**XoreandoX: It seems wrathie is ready to start loosening up on the whole mystery thing. Which means most of my hard work in the background will start to get scrutinized soon. In terms of this chapter we cover a good deal of Shirou's relationship with the Tohsaka Sisters, the Introduction of Penny, and then the beginning of the meeting between Weiss and Kiritsugu. In response to some of the reviewers/readers who have had some issues with how Rin and Sakura have been depicted in terms of their violent tendencies, well hopefully we've managed to answer the WHY in this chapter. I think that's all I needed to say so until next time, Keep on Writing.**

* * *

'So we would be counting on you to get him alive, if possible, Shirou.'

Rin reminded the Knight as he and his partner excused themselves from Rin and Sakura's room. The two sisters had a dinner appointment with a big shot to close a deal later on and had to change. Shirou knew exactly how long the two could take to get ready and had excused himself a little earlier – much to their disappointment however.

'We will do what we can. But we can't promise his condition though.'

Shirou scratched his head and then blanched when Sakura smiled winningly behind them while sipping tea.

'We'll find a way to make do. Just make sure he is stopped at all cost, Shirou. At all cost, our reputation is at stake here. I imagine our reputation would be reinforced if we came down on Torchwick with _lethal_ force as well. It will suit our tag line and act as a guarantee to our clients.'

Pyrrha chuckled nervously while Rin whirled around while snapping her fingers.

'Perfect, that is PERFECT, we have to raise that during the meeting later and add that as part of our company slogan and mission!'

'You two certainly sound like you'll be busy then for a little while. So I guess I won't be getting those books I asked for until after the Tournament then?' Shirou asked with a slightly crooked grin

'It takes money to transport stuff over, you know? We're still waiting to hear back them, and honestly, I didn't think you would be interested in that stuff, they're just old… fairy tales about magic. I didn't think you were the fantasy type, actually scratch that, no matter what my mother said about magic being real, they're just stories...' Rin asked suspiciously

'The last time I told you that I wanted to know more about you and your family, that hasn't change. But I also remembered those stories your mother told us about Grimm and magic in the past, I thought that they might part of your history too, given how enthusiastic she about it back then.. But before I go...'

The two sisters turned to look at Shirou who had his arms open wide for a hug, much to their surprise and in a heartbeat, slammed into him and engulfed him in a huge hug that made it difficult for him to breath.

'Now that, is how a man does it.'

Pyrrha commented with a nod while grinning at the three of them, despite their eccentricity, Pyrrha could tell their bonds were stronger than anything he might have forged with Team SNPR to date. Something she hoped would change soon though.

'Be safe, Shirou.'

'Don't push yourself, blockhead... and take care of him for us, Pyrrha.'

* * *

'That was certainly interesting... I see that their reputation was not exaggerated. Their combined interest in destruction is... disturbing. Shirou, you said they... were different when they were younger?'

Pyrrha asked quietly, no, she shivered and whispered as she exited the hotel together with Shirou. The Knight of Beacon shuddered too and he looked behind him before nodding to her and replying.

'To cut the long story short – it happened after their father passed... although they said it was a Grimm, the wards that the Tohsaka Family always placed around their living quarters made it impossible.'

Shirou's face darkened as he explained to Pyrrha, the redhead knowing that it was a private matter nodded her head and didn't complain that it was a very condensed version of the story.

'I'm sorry for asking this, if it's too private, I'll ask Sakura or Rin myself - So... you can stop, Shirou.'

Shirou paused at Pyrrha's words before he smiled at her instead.

'You really do think of them as your friends, don't you, Pyrrha?'

'I do... of course I do – they are formidable warriors in their own right and they acknowledged me.'

'… The two of them don't make friends so easily – and they, definitely... asked you over not because you were their friend. They wanted you to look after me for them because they trust you more than the others.'

Shirou said so bluntly and Pyrrha frowned at that.

'For you to say that about your closest friends, that isn't like you, Shirou.'

'I've known them for as long as I can remember, Pyrrha... I know exactly what they're like, and although I love them, I do... I know exactly how they are like – and they... might view you as friends after what happened today.'

Shirou was cautious with his words as he did not wish to bring false hope to Pyrrha, and he wasn't sure how the redhead would take to the news.

'So they didn't before? I always thought that they would, we were united against your inability to take care of yourself after all.'

Pyrrha gave him a lazy grin while punching his shoulder in jest and Shirou tilted his head in confusion.

'Wha – when?'

'I'm your partner, Shirou, I'm suppose to know you. I'm not sure if _you_ made the effort to understand me, but I did for you. I care for you, Shirou, you're my team mate and a mighty good one too – I'm not going to let a team mate of mine be in danger because he's being stubborn and a blockhead.'

Pyrrha said it so honestly and her words made Shirou feel guilty as he scratched his head awkwardly. That was true, all of Pyrrha's words were true and he hadn't done anything in return. He had guarded Pyrrha, he had protected her and his team, but it was solely because he was expected to do so.

Their lives, were his to an extent when he led them to combat - and that hadn't been enough. Not compared to Pyrrha who fought, guarded and tried to understand him. For every time that Shirou guarded her back, Pyrrha watched over him countless times at school. For every monster he slain to protect her, Pyrrha watched over him in school. That was the difference – and Shirou just realized that.

'Ahaha... stop staring at me, I'm getting embarrassed. It's no big deal you know.'

Pyrrha slapped his shoulder while looking away, causing Shirou to blush as well as he looked awkwardly to the side before coughing and trying to return to the original topic.

..

'The two of them Rin and Sakura – they don't trust anyone that easily... They trust me because I helped them after what happened – I was there for them, and I took care of them until Sakura recovered and started helping me with the cooking. It took a month, and faster than I liked – but they took over the Tohsaka family's operation almost immediately.'

Pyrrha was impressed that they were able to at such a young age – they were probably geniuses in their own right. Rin was smart, uncanny and very devious while Sakura was hiding her true strength behind her sister - who knows what she had to offer on the table – but together they were a formidable duo. No wonder they were able to do so much at such a young age.

'Yeah, Rin was always a genius and she took over as the head while Sakura helped to convince the employees and associates to let her run the business... and she succeeded in just over half a year - expanding and retaining control of the Tohsaka group when they were barely ten.'

'I see... so their childhood were taken away from them, and they... couldn't make friends because of that.'

'Yes, it's hard... they were surrounded by enemies everywhere and it didn't help that they always tried to target Sakura as she seemed to be the weaker one.'

Shirou shuddered and from the look of fear in his eyes, Pyrrha realized that this was when Sakura had, well, showed her ability and semblance.

'Was... it... that... bad?'

She tried not to let her voice tremble, but the killing intent from the gentle looking girl had left a huge impression on them the last time the team had met with her. It had taken one instance of Yang flirting excessively for them to know that was a _bad_ idea.

Even Rin had been frozen by fear before she had recovered faster than any one of them.

'… The first time it happened, they had to burn the whole room... it was, messy... but Sakura never killed anyone!'

Shirou tried to sound cheerful but Pyrrha wasn't buying it, neither was he though.

'And Rin... she did?'

'Well, in her defence she was definitely paranoid after that attempt on Sakura... I don't know how, but her family had some low forgotten art that allowed them to create defences she called wards.'

Shirou smiled at that term, 'wards', so that was what they called it now?

'Rin was particularly good at it too, so she set them around where they lived, where their shops were... and …'

Shirou fell silent as he stopped walking, causing Pyrrha to turn around to place a hand on his shoulder again. This was awkward, the two of them were in the middle of the street and Pyrrha pulled Shirou to a side so he could compose himself again before speaking.

'That was when they got their reputation... it's kind of obvious when robbers get their heads blown off the moment they tried to grab the cash register. It... makes an impression... huh... maybe that's why Torchwick got away, they wanted the dust... and not the money...'

Shirou's thoughts drifted away for a moment before he was brought back by Pyrrha laughing a little as the two of them leaned against a wall of one of the buildings. They were a strange sight, two huntress/huntsmen, looking like they were out on a date.

Wait, what was wrong with that in the first place? They would look good together!

Right?

'Is Rin always obsessed with money?'

'Yes... the family originally wanted to send Sakura away, in order to gain more control over Rin since she was older. And to make it worse, it was during the mourning period, and they wanted to smuggle her out of there... Rin overheard their plans and she wouldn't let them do it, so she went all out in an effort to prove that they were worthy as the heads. I helped out, and Kiritsugu did too.'

'So that's why they trust Kiritsugu as well... because he saved them?'

'More like protected them, but it's the same... the Tohsakas don't fund the White Fang, but they treat Faunus like real people – and that is something I am sad to say isn't very common, you heard of how Weiss disliked the Faunus? That's probably why it's hard for Rin to make deals with the Schnee...'

'We are going woefully out of topic, but... I'm happy you told me all of this.'

Pyrrha gave Shirou a warm smile that made the knight scratch his head. That was nothing, he still knew nothing about Pyrrha but he had been rambling for a while.

'I guess... I wanted you to understand the two of them better? After all... they weren't able to drive you off.'

Shirou mumbled at the end to Pyrrha's surprise. What did Shirou mean by that?

'The two of them... never did like anyone coming near me. Near obsessive and... I know, why, I'm not _that_ dense...'

Shirou chuckled while Pyrrha just stared at him – so he knew, so... what did he do about it? Nothing at all?

'But I can't accept their feelings, it's not that easy. Inthe end, we're different, perhaps more than you can understand. I love them, but just not in that way - I don't know how to explain it honestly.'

Pyrrha had nothing to say to that, and the two of them stood in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company until Pyrrha spoke up.

'Well if they couldn't drive me away, you can't either. I'm, your partner, and I'll stand by your side. It's a promise of a life time.

Pyrrha winked as she cut her hand with Milo, causing Shirou to look at her in shock.

'That's... really not necessary, Pyrrha –'

'Nonsense, a Nikos always keeps her promises, especially to a comrade. Even if you don-'

Pyrrha's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed when Shirou took Pyrrha's hand to cut his hand with Milo as well.

'… '

Wordlessly, the two of them shook hands, a bond formed in blood – and till this day, Shirou did not know _why_ he was compelled to do that.

* * *

'I am delighted to meet you, Friend Ruby!'

The odd girl that was known as Penny smiled at her Ruby as the leader of Team RWBY walked with her in the streets of Vale. After she had worked out with the rest where each pair would patrol around, they had split up to enjoy the sights for a while before meeting for dinner later on after Shirou was done meeting Rin and Sakura.

With their limited manpower, the four of them would have to cover a small area instead of a route that they had wanted to – and it was much more easier to keep themselves inconspicuous if they kept to the high road and away from prying eyes at any rate.

From what she had dug up on Roman Torchwick, the man's modus operandi was to simply swagger in with his body guards and just take them off the shelf of the helpless dust merchant. There was no subtlety to it at all, and Ruby had nearly been the victim of something like that – which brought to mind the weakness of _all_ the merchants in Vale – can't they invest in some security at all?

Ruby was so deep in her thoughts she bumped into the strange girl named Penny by accident and after helping her out, and with a slip of her tongue – called her a friend.

Penny has never had a friend before – that much was obvious from the look of joy that she had when she hugged and spun her around happily. That was kind of odd as well – seeing anyone act this eccentric and happy.

'Uh huh... yeah, that's great. It's nice to meet you too, Penny. We're friends now, and friends help each other out.'

Penny smiled at Ruby as she followed her while she was scouting the location she was going to stake out later on. The others were doing the same, though she had serious doubts Nora would be able to do so. She was...oh gods, it was like the two of them were similar to each other!

'Yes, friends help each other! I understand that, Friend Ruby. Does Friend Ruby need help?'

'Erm, just calling me Ruby would be a good start?'

'I see, then I shall call you Ruby!'

'Yes Penny, that would be great, I appreciate it.'

Ruby gave Penny a happy smile as she turned a corner to the first Dust shop that her area hosted and she nodded while marking a note on her scroll.

'Are you coming, Penny? I'm going to visit the Dust store, maybe pick up some if they are have a discount.'

Ruby asked Penny and gave an exasperated smile when Penny latched on to her hand eagerly, too eagerly as she felt pain at how hard she was squeezing her hand.

'I would love to! But I had imagined that fellow girls would be shopping for clothes and make up?'

'Oh gods... I'm a huntress, Penny, shopping for makeup can't beat shopping for dust and weapons. C'mon, let's go!'

'Ohh – Ruby is a huntress too! What a coincidence, I am training to be one as well!'

'Eh? Well... you... certainly don't look the part...'

Actually she did, what with her super strength and the lightness of her feet when she caught up with her earlier on. Ruby had no problems believing she was a huntress, but she had to be sure and gain some insight on her. After all – the Vytal Festival and the Tournament was coming up. Weiss had declared her intent to scout the competition earlier in the week – that had failed to materialize thanks to their need to try and find Kiritsugu and now this. But now, maybe Ruby had hit pay dirt.

'I'm combat ready, Ruby, all of me is!'

'Haah, really? Well, let's go shopping then?'

* * *

'I am Lie Ren.'

As the boy introduced himself laconically to Kiritsugu, who looked a little perplexed and probably a little confused at whether he was being polite, professional or just lazy. The way Ren's shoulders slumped a little after he did his quick bow probably spoke of the last option, but Kiritsugu ignored it in favor of nodding at him instead.

What his attention was on, was the girl that had accompanied his adopted daughter and god-son, the white hair he recognized as one that he had seen once, fleetingly as it had been.

White hair as silver as hers was not common, and there were few of those that could match that beautiful hair color. Yes, Kiritsugu found that color beautiful, it might even be called his 'type', but this girl, this _woman_, Kiritsugu knew better than to approach her in that manner.

'A Schnee.'

Kiritsugu breathed quietly while remaining stoic in front of one of the human families that had declared war on the White Fang and the Faunus, with good reason too. The White Fang had attacked her family ruthlessly to the extent that pained Kiritsugu. Unfortunately for the White Fang or for the Faunus in general – their attacks had not weakened the Schnee family as much as they hoped.

They had taken lives, taken opportunities and cost them a lot of resources, but the Schnee had started to push back and they pushed back, _hard_. Before it had only been questionable labour practices, they were pushing the Faunus hard, they hadn't been fair to the Faunus – and although it had been wrong _before_, it had gotten _worse_ after the White Fang had started their crusade against Schnee Group.

They had systematically disallowed Faunus from working in their group out of mistrust for them – and although it could be called a minor victory that no more of their kind would be hurt under their hand again – it was also a complete disaster in their book.

Faunus who had worked under the Schnee group were still compensated for their services, an act that not all corporations could lay claim to that. With the dismissal of _all_ the Faunus from the Schnee group, the largest Dust Distributor and parent company to many other smaller firms that operated in Remnant – meant that practically overnight – a large population of the Faunus had lost their paychecks. It was a huge blow to any family – but when it was as widespread as it was – it caused more harm than good for the goals of the White Fang.

Their initial intent was for them to have more bargaining power when the Faunus representatives spoke with their Schnee employers, but they had taken the drastic step to just cut them out of the picture without warning and consultation.

It hurt the Schnee group – but they could recover in time, and most infuriating of all – none of the employment rights that they _should_be entailed were given to them. They were just dismissed like trash with a few month's compensation for the termination of the contract – some Faunus families did not even get even _that_.

That would be bad enough – but with the record of a termination and the influence of the Schnee group, it had became extremely hard for the now unemployed Faunus to find new employment. The result... wasn't pretty... families starved and some cases died due to the hunger and despair that they found themselves in. It had gotten so bad that many Faunus had to resort to thieving and robbery just to survive and to keep their families afloat.

The Schnee had their revenge – and it was not a pretty sight.

Only just last year did they start accepting Faunus back into their employment – but at far less favorable terms, one might even say oppressive but for most Faunus families – they did not have a choice and accepted the terms to keep themselves alive.

It was, an absolute disaster due to the White Fang, and the worse part was how everyone else started to laud the Schnee for giving them employment again – as bad as it was – while the White Fang continued to attack the Schnee. They did not even know that the guards that they employed, the same guards who more than likely got injured or killed trying to guard the dust were their fellow Faunus. Or if they did – thought them to be sympathizers to the humans.

All this Kiritsugu knew as he had left in disgust the moment the first attacks were declared on the Schnee and he had watched in the shadows with even more despair as their attacks had only increased in more ferocity when there was no _reason _to do so. To unleash bloodshed on Schnee without any rhyme or reason? It was no wonder they pushed back – and this girl, the Schnee in front of him was visibly waiting for an excuse to kill him right now.

Members of the Schnee was known to be cold, calculating just like their white hair – and this girl had all of that element to her and more. She was mad, furious but she was still able to keep her poise and temperament till the moment Kiritsugu made himself a threat to her.

..

'… Your name, they told me it is Emiya Kiritsugu.'

The girl, no woman, spoke quietly while walking towards him while she watched his movements warily. He had no doubts he could kill her easily – but her confidence was what made him hesitate, why did she come so willingly, and why did she not attack him immediately? He was not a pacifist, but he was a Huntsman, and he had killed for less. For that matter, why did Blake and Shirou bring her here in the first place to meet with him. Even the rascal Sun Wukong seemed wary and subdued, no doubt by the chilling aura of the girl, woman in front of him.

'Yes.'

'… I see. I came here looking for answers. If you would...'

The girl bit her lip, not out of nervousness, no it was out of frustration and when she looked up – the mask that she had been wearing, which had concealed all the anger, pain, loss and suffering all of them came rushing out for a moment so fast that he would have missed it if he was not looking for it.

'If you would.'

She stressed again, a little forcefully and Kiritsugu noticed with some alarm that small sigils were being formed on _his_ body, an act that alarmed Blake before she was being pulled back by Shirou. To be left in the mercy of a human by my godson, he would say this could be another instance of Shirou being a chip off the old block – but it was actually the truth, how fitting.

'Please.'

Now that was a surprise and Kiritsugu steeled himself as he watched Weiss carefully. Users of glyphs, sigils as part of their semblance were unpredictable as their manifestations were never the same – but always in the same manner. One could argue that it was a branch of semblance that anyone could learn, but no one had dedicated much study to them.

'I am seeking the truth... that night, I wish to ask you – were you the one who killed my Aunt and Uncle and left their mansion to burn?'

Kiritsugu appeared to be considering his answer while in his mind he searched deeply for a memory that would help with whatever information the girl in front of her wanted from him. He wouldn't have answered this question under _normal _circumstances, but the desperate looks that his adopted daughter was shooting him meant he had no choice but to answer it.

For a Schnee to say 'please' to a Faunus, especially one of the main family was amusing however. If he had taken a video of that – would it be worth it's weight in gold?

Then he remembered, the incident of that night, the fire – the screaming – the failure and the pain of being too _late_ made him inhale before rubbing a hand across his eyes.

'Do you... truly wish to know?'

'Yes, I do. Regardless of what had happened – I wish to know the truth.'

'Then, at least tell me your name, Schnee.'

Kiritsugu straightened his back as he looked down at the Schnee who seemed surprised at the request.

'My name is Weiss Schnee, the heiress of the Schnee group. May I ask, why do you wish to know who I am?'

Kiritsugu did not speak, his eyes looking at her as though searching for something, something beyond that controlled but angry face – something that reminded him of what happened that day. He wanted to know – needed to know.

'… So I can apologize.'

Kiritsugu gave a sigh as he looked away, the first to break eye contact with the two of them as he wished her had a cigarette about now.'

'For one of my greatest failures yet...'


	26. Chapter 26

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter __26_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

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_wrathie: Err… what was I about to say again? I forgot. In any case, school for me officially starts this week. I'll have less time to focus on PooL and Flower, if you haven't read Flower Amongst Devils, do give it a try as well. I'm the author, I'm allowed for shameless advertising here, heh._

_At any rate, I'm not taking a real sabbatical on it, it's that it'll be harder for me to publish as fast as I used to be. For why these last few chapters aren't released as fast as they used to - it's due to the complications of having many QC checks. I'm not complaining, it just makes me feel a little more secure that I'm delivering the best I can. This chapter… really tests the team and how well, I actually developed Kiritsugu and the differences of PooL Kiri and Canon Kiri due to the different upbringing and circumstances. It's long an AU fic, so hopefully you guys will like it. Oh, and I can't believe there's no love for the Tohsaka Sisters! I thought that was something quite well done!  
And lastly - PooL has got a Tvtropes Reccomendation! That's awesome! Even if I am not sure if emotionally I've really caught up that euphoria... but I digress. Enjoy this update.  
_

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_Razyangel: Alright! The plot thickens and is steadily coming to a boil. More insight to how the white fang works and kiri's involvement. To those who don't know it, the name of the infamous milk that Ruby religiously drinks is, "udder satisfaction", well played Monty… well played. And props to Jaune reading Xmen in the Library. Funny how Mutants and Faunus are so alike. Can't they get a lil love? enjoy the chapter!_

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_ChaosVector: RL problems took me away from being able to help with PooL's previous chapter. I almost didn't make it for this week's chapter. Anywho, Kiritsugu's side of the story. If you haven't figured it out already or haven't read wrathie's notes, PooL!Kiritsugu is waaaay different than Canon!Kiritsugu. Why? Well, I can't possibly tell you that without spoiling, now could I? You'll just have to stick with us in the meantime to find out..._

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_XoreandoX: In this chapter we get to cover what really happened with Weiss' family when she was younger and what Kiritsugu played in it. We also disclose what the humans call the Faunus Huntsman, for those who are unfamiliar with Mythology, Fenrir was the Wolf who was prophesied to kill Odin during Ragnarok; This title given by the Faunus was a symbol of strength for others. His other title was meant to demean the first, by implying that he is a Guard Dog (albeit a very big and dangerous one), instead of the a proud and powerful Wolf. _

_In response to some of the reviews regarding how Kiritsugu's odd behaviour in comparison to his Nasuverse counterpart, the reason for that is due to the different circumstances. The only part of his past I'll reveal early is the fact that he didn't have to kill his father, and for those who are more familiar with the Nasuverse; they will realize just how much that can change him from the person he was in Canon to the man you see here. However despite not having to kill his father, he does have his own share of regret as you can see in this chapter, and we plan to explain a bit more about this in the future as well._

_I think that is most of the stuff I felt I needed to cover regarding Kiritsugu's past with exception of who the previous leader of the White Fang was, so I look forward to seeing what everyone might think she is. On another note I find myself slightly disappointed that no one quite caught on to what Kiritsugu's comment about Weiss' hair might really meant, but hopefully I'll see something about it in the future, so until next time; Keep on Writing. P.S. wrathie says I developed, he means WE considering how long it took for me to educate him on his past._

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..

Kiritsugu told Weiss and all who were gathered what happened that night, around five years ago, after the White Fang had started applying pressure on the Schnee Group with their militia and strength.

Faunus weren't the most numerous, but they were still physically stronger and possessed better senses than the average human – they were more than capable of being a threat to humans.

What's more, Kiritsugu was maddened with guilt to say that he had trained many of the high ranking members of the White Fang in the art of combat so they could defend themselves... and they had twisted it to enact violence.

Kiritsugu was not someone who shied away from violence, but he was one who did not approve of unnecessary violence when it could be avoided. If it was not going to save lives, there was no reason for him to engage in the dance of death.

He had taught the members of White Fang his art and skill in order for them to protect themselves. There were humans who hunted Faunus for sport – most of those disgusting individuals had been exterminated by him, many of them personally while their crimes were exposed, the Hunter Association had no choice but to acknowledge and unhappily praise Kiritsugu for his work.

The White Fang themselves had leveraged on Kiritsugu's presence and had offered a leadership position to help encourage Faunus to become Huntsmen and Huntresses and increase their overall strength and influence.

It wasn't that uncommon to see members of the White Fang become Huntsmen and Huntresses as a show of strength. Even if the humans were overwhelming in numbers, Kiritsugu proved that Faunus could buck the trend as he had accumulated one of the highest bounty numbers within a few years upon joining the association due to his near-suicidal missions and exemplary success rate in deeply grimm-infested areas.

He was one of the greatest Huntsmen, after all. Until the White Fang staged their first hijacking of the Schnee Dust stores, did his reputation and name within the White Fang backfire on him and he was blacklisted by the organization for his association with the White Fang.

But none of that had to do with what happened that fateful night, no – one had to know of Kiritsugu's ideals – the same one that had made it so difficult for him to do exactly what he had do that night.

"My wish is to save people. My strength is meant to be used to save people... regardless if the person is human or Faunus, I will save them. This was both my wish and one of my vows when I became a Huntsman."

Kiritsugu replied softly to everyone who was gathered and the only individual that did not look awed, or at least surprised was his godson, who simply nodded his head as if he expected that. Somehow, that irked him to no end.

"… And that night my vows were tested... the White Fang decided on an assassination attempt on the senior board members of the Schnee Group."

Blake was aware of how Weiss' entire body stiffened and it must have taken a huge amount of effort for her to remain calm while Kiritsugu told his tale to Weiss.

..

"I had already left the White Fang by then, but they approached me for help regarding that mission... A mission that I refused to participate in. Their plan was to approach the elders of the Schnee Family directly in order to work out better terms regarding their employment contracts with the Faunus. I believe they sent a missive to the Schnee in advance and they offered the cooperation of around ten thousand members of the White Fang with the Schnee group if they agreed to their terms."

Kiritsugu paused for a moment, he studied the expressions of the others, waiting for any questions until Weiss gestured for him to continue. The heiress was being quiet, too quiet actually for him to believe that she was taking the truth so easily. She was like a volcano now, ready to explode and if not for her gestures to continue he would have called for a break for her to absorb his history as well as the White Fang's origins. No doubt Blake would have told them of her understanding of the events, but in the end she had just been a pawn. A very strong pawn. Kiritsugu had kept tabs on his adopted daughter and she had proven to be an amazing asset in combat for the White Fang before she left.

"However, even if the offer seemed tempting, the White Fang never had ten thousand members under its wing. We could barely muster five thousand at the peak of our strength, it was a bluff – a terrible one at that. There was just no way that the White Fang could hold up to their end of the bargain, and I believe that the Schnee themselves knew that."

Kiritsugu turned to look at Blake who looked confused at her father's sudden attention to her.

"Does the White Fang still rely on the old network and codes to communicate with the various teams? What about within the base headquarters itself? Did they change the code? Or... have they been using the same code all this time?"

Kiritsugu asked patiently and when Blake recited the code for him to listen, the older Faunus ran a hand through his hair and gave a frustrated sigh.

"This code has been compromised by the Schnee for years, I can't believe they were still using it even before you left... or could they have done that on purpose? It doesn't matter, what does matter is what happened. We all knew the deal wouldn't happen. If it were the old management, under her leadership, our terms would've been more than reasonable to accept. But _him_-"

Kiritsugu gave a growl that seemed more like his nature of a wolf Faunus, it was both dangerous and angry – speaking volumes of the fierce emotions he had regarding the person he was referring to.

Only Blake knew who that person was, or did she really? The current head of the White Fang was an enigmatic, violent but still a popular leader due to his actions in restoring the glory of the White Fang. Blake had forgotten to correct Kiritsugu earlier – at the last capacity where she had left around half a year ago – the White Fang was operating with around 15000 members. The problem was that the majority of them were homeless Faunus that had been driven out of their homes, children, or the elderly. There were a precious few who could guard the members of the White Fang or capable of providing them with food.

They were getting desperate then – and being one of the desperate individuals – Blake knew the risks they were willing to take to ensure their survival.

And if they were even more so, they would be willing to do even more reckless things. Blake believed her father when he said that their plan was just atrocious and that he could never agree to it.

"Whether the negotiations were to succeed, he ordered the board members of the Schnee to be captured or killed to force the family to give control of the group to the younger, and more easily intimidated members of the Schnee. I have honestly no idea how the Schnee allowed this meeting to pass, they must have known about their intention... and yet, they agreed to meet."

Kiritsugu paused again to look at Weiss before asking her a question.

..

"Did you know about the meeting, Weiss Schnee? I'd assume you were around ten years old when this incident happened.

"No, I wouldn't have been given the title of the heiress at that age. As such I would not have been made aware of such a meeting taking place, let alone what the decisions they would have made then. In... In fact, there were no records of any meetings that took place on that night."

Weiss choose her words carefully while staring at Kiritsugu, her friends had begged her to take an open view of the situation and she was, she _was _trying so hard to do just that. But there was just no proof that Kiritsugu was saying the truth besides well, the obvious -

"I do not wish to appear disrespectful..."

Weiss bit her lip in anger that she had to show so much respect for an individual that might have killed her family, but ingrained her was the small amount of doubt that wondered what if all her accusations against this particular Faunus were wrong? So she had to be polite – he was the most respected and famous Faunus Huntsmen after all, at least that is what she has been told.

"But... if you are unable to provide proof of the meeting having taken place, or any reply from my family that they received such a request... I am afraid it is difficult for me to believe your words"

There was a tense silence that happened between the two of them that was interrupted by Ren giving a small cough and adding in lazily.

"'It would have been too easy for either side to destroy the evidence of it happening... No one would wish to have ties with a terrorist organization... and for the White Fang, having that kind of evidence would just mean that they are all but admitting that they were the ones who killed your family. However, we can't rule out the possibility of it...actually happening."

Ren's points made sense and the heiress gave the boy a nod in acknowledgment while internally she was gnashing her teeth in frustration – so now they were relying on _possibilities_ instead of hard facts? Fine, she would play along for now.

"I have to hold you to your words – Mr. Kiritsugu, if you are lying to me..."

Weiss warned Kiritsugu, who didn't seem too affected or impressed as he nodded in acknowledgment before continuing his story of that fateful night.

"I understand, and for you to listen for so long without attacking me... is a sign of trust and your desire to find the truth of that night... And the truth was simple – I failed that night. I was there that night yes, I was also there in the burning room where your family laid slain, yes... and I was the one who pulled you out of the ro-"

Weiss interrupted suddenly at the end of Kiritsugu's speech and the Faunus gave her a look that showed confusion.

..

"You did not pull me out of the fire – you left me to die!"

Weiss raised her voice angrily at Kiritsugu only for the Faunus to look at her in utter surprise.

"Impossible... I pulled you out from that burning room myself. The... dining room, it was in danger of collapsing, it was all I could do to pull you out that night."

Kiritsugu explained patiently while Weiss just shook her head, there was something different about the story that she remembered. She remembered being in the room, in one corner, tied up and helpless while someone stood there, she was sure it was Kiritsugu – but now, she wasn't so sure. His figure was wavering in the heat of the flames together with the bodies of her family lying in front of him. It was his fault, Weiss had been so sure of it – and now, he said he wasn't?! There was no way that she would believe that.

"I don't believe it! I saw you, you were there with my family's cooling bodies. I was bound and gagged, but I remember. I don't know who did that to me, but someone did. I remember that night well, the fire, the heat – and your figure, standing over my family. You... you murderer!"

Weiss screamed at him and for the first time, she lost control of her emotions and rushed forward to grab his collar to shake him.

"Murderer! LIAR! You left me to die there! You said you weren't at fault – so – LET ME GO!"

It was Blake and Shirou who pulled Weiss away from Kiritsugu, the two of them struggling to pry her fingers from his collar as the Faunus Huntsman looked both disturbed and confused at what Weiss was saying. What she said did not tally with what he knew of what had happened that night. There was something missing here, but until she calmed down to walk through the sequence of events with him – he wasn't sure what pictures she was missing.

..

There wasn't really an attack on the Schnee manor, it just wasn't possible since the negotiators from the White Fang were _invited _into the manor by the Schnee themselves. They had agreed to let their assassins into their home, were the Schnee that arrogant? Or perhaps they had other plans in mind by inviting them to their home that night.

Kiritsugu did not know, he was worried about the meeting – disgusted at the extent that they had fallen and wanted to prevent blood shed that was bound to happen.

"… I do not know what happened that night, I came too late to interfere with what I know would happen. The negotiators that were sent to the Schnee, they would have killed all of you – it would not only be a terrible blow to the Schnee, that is not the extent of the impact that would have on Remnant. It would have changed the entire Faunus and Human relationship forever."

Kiritsugu answered calmly as he watched the Schnee Heiress being restrained by Shirou and Blake, she had been controlling her emotions very well up to this outburst. However considering what he had just told her, he could not blame her. Even he himself was confused – he'd better put all his cards on the table.

"Having the Faunus assassinate such prominent human leaders like the ones in the Schnee Group would mean war, there was no doubt about it. I do not know whether that was the White Fang's purpose, but at the very least it would set the entire human and Faunus relationship back some hundreds of years, during the events of the Great War. Faunus and humans always had an uneasy relationship from the time the Faunus were born. How we came to being has always been contested, but it was true that we prospered when we shouldn't have, and we fought hard to be acknowledged by humans. The sad fact is that humans, for all their intelligence, have their pride to blame for not viewing us as at least their equals. They know that any Faunus who has trained and studied as hard as any human would be better, if only due to the physical and natural talent that a Faunus would have compared to a human. We _are_ the superior race, there is no doubt about that."

Kiritsugu paused, he was going out of topic here and it was a touchy subject that he did not like to broach. As much as he loved justice and was driven by the instinct to save, it was also true that he had been the subject of much discussion and debate due to his position, strength, and acts of heroism. The humans never liked the idea of a Faunus beating them or dominating in an area that was supposed to be their field to show their strength. It was an insult to them that Kiritsugu, a Faunus, could do what human Huntsmen could not. Perhaps it was why they insisted on calling him Cerberus, the Guard Dog of Hades when they heard that the Faunus chose to call him: Fenrir, the Wolf who was destined to slay a God. In a way Kiritsugu was the leading banner in showing that Faunus were better, stronger, and did not deserve being alienated – especially since they meant no harm and were willing to work with humans.

Kiritsugu had welcomed that image, it had helped the White Fang tremendously till they tore it down with their own efforts.

He had a choice: To stand up for his own people, the Faunus, and try to prevent the White Fang's plans or ignore what was about to befall the Schnee in their own residence and allow the helpless slaughter of the innocent. It would no doubt lead to bloodshed for both sides when everything degenerated due to that act of folly by the White Fang. Regardless of the outcome of that conflict, hundreds, if not thousands, _would_ die because of their actions.

And although blood was not on his hands, Kiritsugu would _not_ condone or accept it.

The alternative, was to kill the Faunus assassins, putting himself in danger to take out those that were his allies - an act that would show weakness in front of the Schnee Group. Showing that the White Fang itself has split, fractured, and has dissenters amongst its ranks would only strengthen the Schnee's confidence in dealing with the White Fang; potentially leading to the _only_ symbol of hope and resistance for the Faunus to come crashing down.

But it could be rebuilt. If he was willing to take a stronger stance, to seize control of the White Fang – it might just work.

However, Kiritsugu was not someone who was capable of leading, nor was he one who could inspire others. He got the job done according to his ideals, his wish to protect and that was all he was. Giving people hope, strength, and direction - that was her job. But he seriously considered both options, before deciding that there was only one way answer to this dilemma. He would have to let his fellow men suffer, just like how he had watched everything and everyone he loved suffer for this promise and ideal of his.

He had walked this path before, and he decided on that path on that fateful day as well – just like how he would continue doing so till the end.

"So I decided to interfere in that meeting, it had to be stopped – but I was delayed by those that I had once called my allies. They were expecting me, and their _resistance_ was enough... for them to set the manor on fire."

Kiritsugu looked to the side slightly as he heard Blake gasp. His adopted daughter was no doubt finding it hard to accept that he could kill his fellow kin, but that shouldn't be surprising. He had to take down rogue Hunters before, and like the humans, the Faunus were not as closely knitted as one would think they might be. Amongst the Faunus there were murderers, rapists, and villains among all the good and simple folk that want a normal life.

Kiritsugu had no qualms in killing his kin if they did wrong, and that night they were acting as the catalyst of a potential genocide.

..

"I broke into the manor to try and save whoever I could. The Schnee, as broken as it might be after the attack, was still a powerful family. If there was just one person saved from this disaster – they might still recover. Of course, I also resigned myself to be viewed as a villain the moment I stepped into the manor. The Faunus were no doubt the ones who had initiated the attack. To the human survivors, they would assume I was the aggressor..."

Kiritsugu suddenly trailed off as he remembered something important, something he didn't consider very important that night. He hadn't met with any aggression at all. The humans and serving staff there were in a panic, but none of them seemed to find or register him as a threat. It wasn't... well, it was odd, that's what it was.

Kiritsugu looked up to see Weiss still glaring at him, Blake pale as a sheet but still listening to the story. The other three, Shirou, Ren and Sun Wukong simply looked on patiently – they knew of conflict and how lives were lost.

Good, they weren't naïve – Roman Torchwick was not going to be arrested – he would be executed for his crimes and the potential danger he posed to the world, to humans and Faunus alike.

"I saved several people from the main foyer during the fire that night, all of them were human. One of them, I am sure was you, Schnee, and I rescued you from the fire unconscious, bound and gagged... in the corner of the room."

Kiritsugu looked at Weiss but did not wait for her response as he continued.

"It was all I could do to bring the survivors out of the mansion and out of harm's way... but the last place I checked was where the fire started in the first place. It was at the dining room where the meeting took place. It wasn't really a surprise... everyone was dead. There were no survivors from the fire, there were just bodies, of humans and of Faunus. I considered getting them out after you, but the place was getting more dangerous by the moment. It wasn't possible for anyone to stay there for long after I pulled you out... so tell me, Weiss Schnee... was it really me, who you saw that night in that room?"

Kiritsugu paused briefly before he sprung the question on to her, and he continued the questioning with a hard look.

"There was no one left in the dining room that could be alive... it was in danger of collapsing due to the heat of the fire, I had to leave before it got too dangerous. Why did you say that it was me that you saw that night?"

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..

Weiss Schnee was faced with an impossibility that she could not, for the life of her, comprehend what she was hearing. This man, a Faunus, had saved her life? From her understanding and his reputation, Weiss could easily believe that. He was known as a merciless killer, but he only killed those that hurt or caused harm to others and did have a penchant for saving people in danger regardless of their race. He could have saved her, it was possible, he would have spared her since couldn't have done any harm to others given the condition she was in, it was possible. But to say that she couldn't be in the dining room when the fire took place was -

"Wait...-"

There it was, the discrepancy that her and Kiritsugu's story had -

"You said you only entered the dining room when the fire was already raging... but I... saw you ... when the fire was just starting..."

There it was, a difference – something was odd, something was wrong here and from the look of things, she was the one who had been mistaken. No, she couldn't be! There's – he has to be the one that was wrong, not her!

"… There are plenty of corpses that would testify that I am speaking the truth. I only arrived after the fire went out of control... as to who it was that bound you, I believe he or she is long dead."

Kiritsugu replied calmly as he considered the implications of _what_ that had happened. Someone had been there before him, impersonating him and trying to kill the heir of the Schnee family.

That however didn't make sense. Why would they risk a potential heiress being in the immediate vicinity where an attack could take place? Their heiress was someone who was going to lead the group someday – an investment in time, education, and training that money can't buy. She was the future, why didn't they send her away? Perhaps it was like she said... she did not wish to be there, but was kidnapped and brought there.

If so, who? By the White Fang?

If the White Fang had her, there would be nothing holding the Schnee back from wiping the White Fang out in pursuit of their heiress. But what if the whole operation was just a cover for them to target and capture the Weiss Heiress instead?

If that was the case – it makes sense that they would still wish to attend the meeting, if only to serve as a distraction.

They had gotten the Schnee Heiress like they had planned, they had her in their grasp and yet they left her for dead? He should have known something was wrong when he discovered her in that room in that state. But he had been distracted with too many thoughts, so many implications and the future actions he would have to take to minimize the damage. If it was planned and executed by one person – it would prevent the White Fang from being crushed by the much stronger and numerically superior human forces.

"Why, why did you save me?"

Weiss suddenly spoke and Kiritsugu was pulled out of his thoughts to look at her cautiously for a moment before replying.

"You don't need a reason to save people."

Kiritsugu noticed Shirou staring and giving him a lopsided grin that he could read as pride? Why was he proud of him all of a sudden?

"… No doubt the Schnee blamed the incident on me and the White Fang. I was forced to leave when the remainder of your staff appeared on the scene and accused me of starting the fire and killing everyone. It was all but official that I was the one who led the White Fang on that attack without even allowing me to have a statement. So I left and severed all connections with the White Fang after that to shoulder the blame."

Kiritsugu looked impassively at Weiss before asking the heiress.

"That is the truth, from my mouth as you requested, now... what are you going to do?"

Kiritsugu had many things left for him to do, hunting down Roman Torchwick was one. Getting rid of the current leader of the White Fang was another, but most importantly – he wanted to continue his lifelong dream to ensure equality between the Faunus the humans instead of turning against each other.

..

He wanted to save and this was an endeavor that would lead to more peace and would save more lives, if the humans just relented from their position.

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..

Shirou could pick up on the misunderstanding and lack of information from both ends of Weiss and Kiritsugu's stories. Weiss was convinced that Kiritsugu was the one who left her for dead in the fire after killing her family. However if that was the case – why did she not remember that she was kidnapped or bound like she said she was? That was one point that the two's stories matched and tallied with one another. So it had to be the truth.

So why did she never mention what happened _before_ that? Was Weiss unable to remember or she could not say what was going on before the incident?

As for Kiritsugu, as much as Shirou trusted him, he hoped he knew Kiritsugu. But the majority of the story could only be verified by himself. Any chances of them trying to even find the truth would be buried by the years that have passed and the connections that they did not have – namely with the White Fang. It was a plausible story and more than believable, plus Shirou believed his father was telling the truth. To sacrifice his own allies for the greater good was definitely a trait of Kiritsugu, even if Blake might not agree with it.

Shirou was of two minds about Kiritsugu being so open with what he had done. Firstly, it made him relieved that his father never changed. Everyone needed a hero of justice now and then, and Kiritsugu was definitely one. Secondly, it would perhaps give a wake up call to Blake. She was part of a rebellion fighting against another group of individuals that would not hesitate to get rid of her, not to mention she was the adopted daughter of one of the most well-known terrorists in the world.

..

To be honest, Shirou was amazed that Kiritsugu could go around the city without anyone recognizing him. Perhaps he was recognized, but there were other records that showed that he still patrolled the areas that he used to frequent. He brought in bounties of the most hardened criminals and was still one of the most famous and most skilled Huntsman despite his reputation. It must be a mixture of his skill, fame, and deeds that made it hard for people to report him. Shirou was sure that those he killed would disagree and would have loved to see him arrested.

No doubt attempts have been made only for them to fail – thus leading them to this situation now.

He, personally, believed in Kiritsugu – Weiss was just leaving too many holes in her own story – gaps that needed to be rectified. Was she hiding something as well? Everyone has secrets after all.

"Enlighten us, Schnee... of what happened that night. I admit, no one can verify my story, but I am certain that we could verify yours. Do tell us your side of the story."

Kiritsugu spoke softly, Weiss listened and after a brief spell of silence, the Schnee Heiress gave a weak sob as she tried one more time to struggle out of her two friend's hold.

"I was there... they wanted me... to be there... My father asked me to come... but then, I... the next thing I knew you were there. You started the fire, and you had killed everyone – the Faunus, my family – everyone so why... why, must you... why -?"

Weiss sobbed weakly as all the strength left her – it was an absolute disaster for the heiress as well as Kiritsugu – that they ended up having more questions than answers.

"It's going to be a long night."

Ren sighed at the background and Shirou agreed … a long night indeed.


	27. Chapter 27

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter __27_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

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wrathie: What did I want to say again? Oh yeah, I'm glad that I received support from my readers on my stance in withholding Shirou's magecraft in line of the story. I'm not going to please everyone, but there you go. If I as the author asks for patience, and even goes out of line to issue a Word of God to clarify something that shouldn't even be revealed, it's really odd. Or perhaps I just don't have the courage to do what's right and just say a flat no.

So here you go, a Flat: "No!" I won't accede to any further requests and reviews asking me about whether Shirou knows magecraft, when there would be combat and etc. Just be patient, and it will come to you eventually at any rate. For the record, I am terribly at battle scenes as I'm more used to Turn-based combat. I've also started revising my older chapters, and I have a confession to say.

Yeah - Shirou's way too formal... Catherine's having a field day with this one.

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Razyangel: I'm gonna be like you dad. You know I'm gonna be like Yooouuuu. Cats in the cradle and a silver spoon little boy blue and the man on the moon, when you comin home? son i dont know when. We'll get together then. You'll know we'll have a good time then…. sorry… couldn't resist. sums up my thoughts on this chapter. Enjoy! and didn't ya'll ever remember our bros from the Tau Empire? "the patient hunter gets the prey!"

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XoreandoX: Looks like the start of school is finally getting to all of us, hopefully we can get a good rhythm down once classes begin again next week. With that out of the way, onto the chapter notes; A lot of this is showing how the Teams are divided up during their stakeout and also some foreshadowing for events to come. In this chapter we see Shirou trying to see how much has changed between the Kiritsugu he knows, and the Kiritsugu he has met. We also cover a bit of WHY Shirou was left behind with the Fujimuras despite being the godchild of Kiritsugu, and the difference between Dreams and Ideals and what Kiritsugu hopes for in RWBY. While this chapter lacks the action a lot of you are looking forward to, it is necessary for some of the things to come, and given wrathie's hesitance to writing fight scenes it means it'll take a little more time to get there. So until next time, Keep on Writing.

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..

"How is she holding up?"

Kiritsugu asked softly to his godson as the two of them took watch over the Dust shop that Kiritsugu believed would be the next target of Roman Torchwick. The Schnee that had confronted him had withdrawn to herself, lost in the complicity of the situation and honestly – he could not blame her for doing that.

There were lots of things that need to be answered and that would come, _later_, after Torchwick was buried, where he could harm no more. And only then would he seek the answers to questions long put off_._

"Badly, she's still in denial... but she believes you – a small relief that. The both of us vouched for you after all... Something definitely happened that night in the Schnee's manor, she'll want more answers from you now that she has someone who can help her find out what really happened that night."

Shirou gave his godfather a smile as he took a seat opposite of him while keeping watch as well. Kiritsugu had to admit that he was quite impressed with his godson's professionalism and the way he was conducting this stake-out. It didn't look like it was his first at any rate.

"Are you surprised that you are my godson?"

Kiritsugu questioned him as they both settled down to a more comfortable and quiet watch.

The other boy, Lie Ren was it, was at the opposite side of the Dust shop and taking watch as well together with Sun Wukong. The boys were, impressive. He believed his adopted daughter would be the same, only she was still comforting the Schnee. The Schnee was a liability now, but a liability that was necessary in a way. If she had not confronted him, the Schnee would have continued to hunt him with a vengeance. Hopefully now that was one less enemy he had to face.

"I am, a little but I still expected that – funny how you or Taiga never mentioned that I had a godfather, it would have helped a lot. Did you have to keep it a secret for so long? Now I understand why the Fujimuras were skittish about the issue... a father-son relationship between a human and a Faunus isn't really the norm, _dad._"

Kiritsugu was not expecting the dry tone from Shirou as looked back at him with a deadpan look that made Kiritsugu want to chuckle. He definitely had fire in him, that much he learnt from Taiga, but instead he simply maintained the stoic and professional look as he replied.

"There wasn't the time for it, especially since you were still young. The last thing I needed was to make an impression on you that being a vigilante was a good idea. Besides – it's unprecedented for a human to have a Faunus as godfather, however your parents were insistent on it after I saved their lives when I was younger. The Fujimura family weren't too happy about it but Taiga beat them into submission before I could say a word."

At that note Kiritsugu did give a small chuckle while Shirou simply looked, confused? Odd?

'Well... that's what I expected from Taiga at least. Beating everything up and getting his way... Well, for that I'm glad... at least I can say that my god-father is the most notorious huntsmen of all time.'

"And it's not like I have fulfilled my duties as a god-father at all. Even if I was the one who had entrusted you to the Fujimura's, with great difficulty I might like to add, I was still your god-father, as such it was my responsibility to took care of you."

Kiritsugu averted his eyes while Shirou fell silent, knowing that Kiritsugu was feeling guilty. The awkward moment persisted for a moment before Shirou cleared his throat.

"I guess I should feel a little upset, after all you did leave me to Taiga. She's not exactly a great mother, or sister figure."

"Oh, is that so? I'd always thought that she would be a good big sister. She became the leader of the Fujimura Militia for her leadership qualities after all. Coupled with her uncanny ability to gain the trust and loyalty of everyone serving under her, allowed the militia prosper."

"Hmph… that only seems to apply to her work with the militia, you should've seen her try do housework or when she tried to cook something. She even placed an egg in the microwave to try and cook it. The subsequent explosion of egg was worth the cleaning that followed."Shirou snorted as he deadpanned, making Kiritsugu chuckle before he became sombre again.

"It's not the life that I wanted you to have, but it's better than being on the run all the time. If I could've taken you, I would have. But I couldn't, I'm sorry, Shirou."

"That's the same reason you didn't take Blake, right? If you can't even take your daughter, a god-son can't be expected –"

Shirou tried to laugh it off but Kiritsugu stopped him by shaking his head.

"Don't say that, you're still like a son to me… even though I can hardly recognize you now, I wanted to apologize, and to say that I'm glad you grew up so well. I'm proud to be your god-father, even if I have done very little to contribute to your upbringing." Kiritsugu gave his god-son a pat on his back and Shirou grinned lazily as he repeated himself.

"My dad is the greatest Faunus huntsman of all time, that's something to be proud of no matter what.

"It is hardly a worthy title to have, Shirou. You... wouldn't like it."

..

Kiritsugu choose his words carefully as he studied his godson, if he was willing to sink into violence like he had feared he _might_ when Shirou heard of his accomplishments, it needed to be nipped in the bud, and now.

"You mean to save? I thought you didn't need a reason to save someone, dad? I found it funny that I said something similar... "There isn't a reason to help someone", it's close, but it's similar, right?"

Kiritsugu relaxed significantly at the look he seen in his eyes, the boy was being truthful and seeing him want to help, rather than save, it was surprising to say the least.

"I never thought that someone raised by Taiga would say that – she was always obsessed with getting her way."

'Well – She'll make a good teacher when she finds a successor... but that's what I want to do, to help people and to save them. Maybe you've made an impact anyway.'

Kiritsugu snorted at Shirou's reply before he fell silent, considering Shirou's words. He never once told Shirou about his dreams, he wasn't there for him after he had been forced to give him away to Taiga before the rest of the White Fang took him away regardless of his wishes.

A human raised by a Faunus was not very common, perhaps that's why he had proposed that insane idea to Taiga in the first place?

"I never told you about my ideals... how would you know about that?"

Kiritsugu didn't know what to feel about that declaration from Shirou, on one hand he was proud, on the other... he was wary. He had given up so much, lost so many things that it caused him to doubt his cause, it was only his dream kept him going through the day. The fact that he had saved, and made a difference and helping rid the world of one less evil that help kept him going.

Shirou would go through the same fate that he did if he followed his ideals to the letter, and a large part of him wanted to warn him about it.

"You said it yourself you know... that I'm a chip off the old block? You saved me – and I guess I wanted to return the favor."

"… I'm not sure you understand how dangerous this path is, Shirou... it isn't something that people undertake without sacrificing much, and sometimes saving people, means that you can't save yourself."

Kiritsugu tried to explain to Shirou, but was cut off when Shirou raised a hand to forestall the long story and finished his statement for him.

"It's an never ending cycle, and you'll be forced to choose who you wish to save in the end…. and who to leave behind."

Kiritsugu froze, his instincts kicking in when he saw the weariness and resignation that appeared in Shirou's eyes for that very brief moment. His god-son looked and sounded like he had come to that conclusion by himself, seen it what would have happened, and the terrible decisions that would have to make because of it. That look terrified Kiritsugu, because it was the same look that he had seen in himself.

But in the next moment it was gone, and replaced with the boy that he was just getting to know better.

"… It looks like you've considered it thoroughly, Shirou... Why's that?"

..

Shirou stiffened slightly, it was a sign of weakness that Kiritsugu would be able to pick up but he shrugged that thought away in order to consider how best to answer his father.

That he had seen it?

That he told him before he died?

That Taiga told him?

That _he _had read about it?

That he was almost killed me because of it?

He would want answers – and he hated to lie to Kiritsugu about this, he had borrowed his dream and he had seen the end of that particular road.

Shirou, respected and loved his father – and if there was a chance that maybe it could end differently, wasn't that an opportunity he was supposed to take?

He had the time to go through all the records of Kiritsugu, learnt about the previous Holy Grail Wars and of course – about his older sister and her mother, Illyasviel von Einzbern and Irisviel von Einzbern. The two women that Kiritsugu cherished the most in his life and he sacrificed and abandoned them to achieve his dreams – leaving him broken and in many ways, lost.

The Kiritsugu that he knew was the the one who had given up on his ideals, _after_ it had broken him so hard to the point that there was nothing left of him to give. Perhaps he was wrong here – he hoped he was wrong – but regardless of whether he was wrong or right, this was the chance for him to help his father.

To aid him, just a little – even if he was certain that Ilya or Irisviel never existed here – since there was no Grail War, their souls would never take form, and that was a pity, because he was sure that he would have loved to have met them under better circumstances, the family that he never got the chance to meet.

"I'm training to be a huntsmen... and I've heard stories from others who had followed a similar path. I'm sure you did too – it's not that hard to figure out, but it doesn't mean I won't try, just like how you did."

Shirou gave his father a half-truth, he knew what would happen at the end of such a journey – but that truth was given to him by _himself_, no one here could understand that – Kiritsugu might have understood and could perhaps come to terms with it.

But it would break him – better nip it in the bud now if he could.

"To be honest I never saw myself as a hero who goes around protecting the weak, I just do what I think is right and it shouldn't be something people need to thank me for. However my partner taught me something very important a while back. That I shouldn't dismiss someone attempting to thank me for what I did." Shirou gave a sheepish grin as he admitted that out loud. It was kind of embarrassing for him to admit that to Kiritsugu, considering he wanted to be a hero when he was younger.

"Instead, I should accept their thanks as something to remind myself that what I'm doing is right; and that it might also be a way of helping others learn how to save themselves. What are your thoughts on this dad?"

Kiritsugu did not expect this question and for a while he pondered it, before he shook his head.

"It's my job, I don't need to be thanked for that... and if I do my job properly, no one else needs to do that."

"Maybe... but it'll be lonely... and being alone, on this path, on this hill, it's hard... isn't it? And... you're sacrificing yourself."

Shirou asked softly as he wondered why those specific words had came out. The Hill of Swords, where he _would_ fall eventually, it was a certainty in the future, not how or why, but _when_.

"Hill...? It might be, but someone has to do it, why not me?"

"Why must it be _you_ then?"

"Because... no one else would step up to do the right thing. To do do what's necessary – to change the world into something better."

Kiritsugu answered without a trace of regret as he returned to his watch, ready to launch into action at the mere hint of movement while Shirou sighed – it'll be a work in progress. Yes, it'll be a work in progress.

* * *

..

Ruby Rose found herself unsure of what to do at this point. Oh, she knew what she was expected to do and what to find but not seeing anything happen was nerve wrecking. The Dust Shop was going to close soon and they weren't getting any closer to finding and arresting Roman Torchwick.

All in all it seemed like a colossal waste of time and from how Nora was fidgeting as she sat beside her quietly, she agreed with her.

Ruby's mind drifted back to what had happened together with Penny at the Dust store earlier on. She did have fun with the somewhat odd huntress as they browsed the store to pick up Dust and Dust crystals. The Dust that was sold there was of a decent quality and was reasonably priced too, but what made it interesting was how Penny seemed to regard everything as something extraordinary, like she hadn't done something like shopping before.

It wasn't something Ruby was used to, but she was forced to play the role of a guide on all things that were Dust to Penny. If Weiss could see her now, she was sure that her highness would be proud of how she did it.

But it was odd to know that Penny had not used Dust at all in her training to be a huntress, still it was not for her to pry. She already knew of a ridiculously strong team leader by the name of Emiya Shirou who fought without using Dust or Aura, having Penny who uses her aura and semblance as her only means of fighting was not that difficult to imagine.

'Whatcha thinking about, Ruby?'

Ruby fought hard not to jump when Nora's voice broke her out of her internal monologue, but she managed it before answering her friend.

"Just thinking about a friend I made earlier today. I wonder what she's doing right now?"

"Oh okay, can I meet the new friend you made one day? I want to be friends with that person too." Nora cheered and Ruby considered before shrugging.

"Well, if she's willing, I will. She's... a Huntress too, she has orange hair, kind of like yours..." Ruby started telling Nora about Penny when the older girl suddenly asked.

"Can we cuddle? It's a little cold."

* * *

..

"That regiment... it sounds refreshing, but I'm afraid Shirou's in charge of our training."

Pyrrha admitted easily as she kept a close eye on the area surrounding the dust shop she and Yang were staking out together. The blonde had been able to keep quiet, which was a welcome surprise for the redhead during their stakeout.

But that didn't last for long and soon the two girls were engaged in a conversation that was quite pleasing to Pyrrha – Training and the various regiments that their respective teams were doing.

"He does seem to be the type that would draw up a professional training plan, doesn't he?"

"Not really, he told me that Rin was the one who helped him train in the past."

Pyrrha shuddered at the memory of the sisters of destruction lecturing the two of them. They were certainly formidable, and if they attended Beacon, they would have no doubt monopolized Shirou's time.

"Oh Rin and Sakura... those two huh? It makes sense, the two of them are strong."

"Is that all you care about, whether they're strong?"

Pyrrha asked with a sigh and shook her head when Yang nodded back.

"Yep! My goal is to be the strongest, kinda like you – we're rivals in that aspect. You are the strongest in our class, right?"

The two of them had sparred before and out of four times they did it, they had came out even with two victories apiece. First blood went to Pyrrha but last blood went to Yang. Pyrrha was willing to admit that Yang was more than a match for her and was the strongest of their year after Shirou. The girl had all which was necessary to be the strongest huntress save for the 'power' factor. It might be surprising to many but Yang Xiao Long's punches were not as heavy as one would imagine it to be. That was quite simply due to how _blunt_ damage was vastly inferior due to the way Aura worked. Activating one's aura to protect oneself was an unconscious act that anyone who had unlocked their aura would be able to do. By it's virtue, blunt impact damage was greatly reduced in effectiveness and would be dependent on the strength and weight of the blow. Yang, who was a brawler, had the strength but not the weight, and must compensate for the difference with more strength instead unlike Nora who had both in spades.

No doubt Yang tried to compensate with being able to deal _more_ hits rather than harder hits but it was still an imperfect solution to the problem that Yang faces. Weapons with edges that deals slashing or cutting blows were accepted as being more effective together with the different spell families that one could attack with the use of one's aura.

"I am, but there are many who are above me. Shirou for one, and my senior, she did not participate the in the last tournament but I am certain that she would have defeated me if she went full out."

"Ooh, someone stronger than Pyrrha? I've got to fight her!"

"Well that's one way to get motivation I suppose."

Pyrrha remarked dryly as she chuckled at Yang's predictable comment on her senior, now she was a strong warrior and was already striking it alone out as a huntress while she was still in training.

"It's not just motivation, it's what you want to do! Isn't what you want to do, to be a huntress?"

"Of course, it's my dream. I wish to show the world that you can be a strong huntress and be capable of starting a family. The age of the women is here, Yang."

"Ohh, that's impressive, you're totally on the ball, sister!"

Yang exchanged high fives with Pyrrha before she was shushed by her at the sight of... suspicious individuals walking towards the Dust Shop.

"Think it's them?"

"Well there's only one way to find out. I'll contact the rest, you'll engage them?"

"Roger that – Yang's on her way!" answered Yang as she handed off her communicator to Pyrrha.

* * *

..

"Looks like Yang hit paydirt, there's suspicious activity going on at her end."

Ruby told Nora as Pyrrha's message was transmitted to all members of her team. As agreed previously, one of them would stay put in the event the first incident was just a cover for other operations to take place elsewhere.

As much as Ruby wanted to rush over to help Yang, she knew that the possibilities of the first attempted robbery might just be one of many. Hence, she was holding down the fort while Nora headed over to help Yang if necessary.

Ruby doubted that Yang needed their help, but it was better safe than sorry. In any event, if the alert was wrong and the enemy did swoop down onto her side – Ruby would be in the best position to get some action of her own.

"Roger!~ I'm heading over now!"

Nora leapt to her feet, ran over to the window that was directly opposite of where the two of them were keeping watch, opened it and leapt out of it impatiently like a coiled spring. Ruby couldn't help but shake her head slightly at the sight. It turns out Nora was keeping all of her pent up energy the whole time after all. It really amazed Ruby that Nora could keep it down till now.

* * *

..

"Are we moving out as well?"

Shirou asked Kiritsugu patiently as the news of Roman Torchwick potentially heading to another location was reported by Pyrrha.

Kiritsugu hadn't been too surprised that Shirou and Blake had members of his team out in the city trying to keep an eye on things as well. It would be what he would have done in their shoes.

"No, we will be keeping an eye here, trust your team, Shirou. Besides – if that was the place, Torchwick would be running the operation by himself. He's not coming today."

"So we're shutting this op down now?"

Shirou asked while narrowing his eyes, the boy was displeased by the way he wasn't given a chance to help his allies. That was good, he had developed strong camaraderie with them and it would serve him well in the future.

"Not quite, we should continue to monitor this location till the break of dawn... but that doesn't concern the lot of you. The rest of you can leave if you wish to, Sun and I can be resume our watch tomorrow at the same time. You are invited to join us if you wish."

"It's still early, Kiritsugu. I was prepared to stay till much later on."

"And if it was an ordinary op, you would – but that is not Torchwick's modus operandi. Thievery is below him, how he was not arrested yet escapes me, but there you go..."

Kiritsugu gave an exasperated shrug before turning to look at Shirou and telling him to return to school, for now.

"I believe there is a curfew for students... view it as an infiltration back to all of your dormitories before you join us on another watch tomorrow."

Shirou didn't like it, it had lots of 'ifs' and assumptions that they were taking for granted about Roman Torchwick and his habits.

"Besides... the Schnee needs time to work through the revelations of tonight... right now she's a liability, I promised that we would meet again tomorrow even if we did take down Torchwick – or at least to stay in contact till the Schnee has her reply."

"That's a huge concession, dad... you really don't think you'll get caught if you hang around so long?"

Shirou's reply made Kiritsugu blink before he chuckled at the way his godson pointed that out to him as if he was stupid.

"… Now I honestly wonder why I didn't adopt you as my son formally... but that would change if you marry Blake."

"Answer the question, dad... I worry."

Shirou's answer made Kiritsugu pause and the famous huntsmen scratch his head before replying. He felt warmth from Shirou's words – the boy wouldn't have said that if he hadn't mean it and it, meant a lot to him as well.

It was odd, he was supposed to have severed all bonds with others in order to achieve his dream – that was partly why he had to give up Shirou in the first place. The human child that he had saved, while he had once considered raising him with the other Faunus children to send a message; with the arranged marriage was going to be part of it – the first in recorded history as well. But in the end events beyond his control had ripped those plans apart and left him alone again.

"I'll be fine, so get going before I change my mind."

Kiritsugu reached out to ruffle Shirou's head before turning away from him, a sign of weakness and discomfort that made Shirou let out a small sigh as well.

"… Guess you're right there, guess I really do take after you, huh?"

Shirou muttered awkwardly before moving off by himself.

* * *

..

Yang Xiao Long had been feeling extremely frustrated as of late, there were many things that had spiralled out of her control and she had been unable to vent her frustration out in a proper manner.

So she hoped that the authorities would pardon her for venting some of her frustration out at the group of suspicious individuals hanging around of the Dust Shop before it was about to close.

There was no sign of that Roman Torchwick fellow that had tried to harm her darling sister – if that orange head smokestack appeared in her face now, she would give him a Yang patented knuckle sandwich free of charge. That was a promise she would love to deliver without any hesitation at all.

"Hey there Nora... you should stop jumping like that, don't want the owners to wake up..."

The two of them were currently crouched and hiding themselves from plain sight at the balcony of one of the nearby buildings, unfortunately while it allow them to get into a position to rush the shop, it also made it impossible for them to have a clear view of their targets.

It was a calculated risk for them to use this particular balcony but they had no choice, this was the only one available that would they could use unless they were going to do this on the streets.

Just like how they were suspicious, for hanging out in a group so late at night, having two girls doing the same thing would draw as much attention on the two of them.

Well, unless they were making out again – which Yang felt that no one would want to interfere, but would like front row seats instead. That or they could try masquerading as hookers... but Yang felt that even if she dared to suggest it, she would be facing the full might of Ren coming down on her. When he was done, it would be Shirou's full might as well, and common sense told her that was just the _best_ case scenario. Ruby might skin her alive if she tried – or found out what she had to do before.

But that was a story for another time.

"Tell us when we can move in, Pyrrha... I'm getting twitchy and Ember Celica wants some action tonight! Magnhild too, right, Nora?"

"Right~~"

It was nice to have Nora on her side when she wanted destruction – the orange haired girl had you covered in that department.

"… It might be a false alarm..."

Pyrrha's report made Yang froze, Nora seemed disappointed to as she frowned and pouted to Yang. It wasn't _her_ fault, why was she pouting at her?! That wasn't fair!

"Really... and what makes you say that, Pyrrha?"

There was a small pause before Pyrrha replied, and Yang spent that time crossing her fingers praying that she was wrong and she could indeed start unleashing the _hurt_!

"… You'll hear and see in a moment... yeah, they're starting now..."

Pyrrha's reply made Yang confused but her jaw dropped when she heard it, it was a sound that she was very familiar with and missed while studying at Beacon.

The revving of the machine's engines, the screeching of the tires as the different machines came in. It was the sound of bikes, good bikes too!

"Damn it... this day's getting worse and worse..."

Yang swore as lights started flickering on in the building that they were currently residing in. Yang reached out to grab her pouting teammate and the two of them leapt up to the next building to avoid being asked awkward questions.

"… I really miss Bumblebee now..."

Yang gave a disappointed sigh as she watched the bikers rev their machines before taking off in a nightrace.


	28. Chapter 28 and 29

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter __28 and 29  
_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: My apologies for the very late update, so we have a dual release for all of you. Besides that, I have nothing but thanks for all of your interest and support during this period. I think I can leave the rest for XoreandoX to talk about about this chapter. If you still don't know who Catherine is, she's my muse.**

* * *

**XoreandoX: Sadly school is chewing up a bunch of my time, and until I find some spare time, I probably won't be able to help get chapters of PooL edited and pushed out that quickly. However I have taken into account about what everyone has been writing in the reviews so hopefully we can get some of them addressed or seen to in the next couple of chapters. As for this chapter, we cover in the first half, the two teams returning back to Beacon after curfew and showcase a little of how Shirou has started to change a little in terms of the way he thinks. Of course the main character for this first section is Weiss, and in particular her state of mind, following the revelations provided by Kiritsugu; as you can see, she isn't exactly a picture of perfect mental health. **

**..**

**The next sequence of events begins to confirm some things about Shirou we've been hinting at for a while, and hopefully helps clear up some of the mystery (Not all of it I know). On another topic, we know that Yang's semblance is different than what we listed it, however as a reminder, Shirou is not a part of Team RWBY, he trains and works with them a lot, but he isn't apart of their Team and has made these conclusions based on observation.**

**..**

**Now the sequence regarding Crocea Mors' (Cloche now) sentience is according to wrathie an homage to another author's work. As the person who wrote most of the world's background and explanations for how the world works I figure I might as well state it outright; there will not be a new influx of talking weapons. In case it wasn't made too clear in the chapter from Cloche's explanation, Weapons made in the modern era don't possess the Will of Steel in the same way that Cloche does, that does not mean that they don't possess a Will of Steel or sentience of their own. Aura is an energy of the soul, and with the amount of aura that is flowing through their wielders, that aura can seep into the weapons and help the weapon develop a sentience that is based on the wielder. However this form of sentience is just a reflection of it's user's soul and personality, and while this is sometimes enough, the modern era encourages Huntsmen and Huntresses to upgrade and modify their weapons to utilize new technology to further improve their ability to survive. Unfortunately, upgrading and modifying usually involve reforging the weapon, meaning that the aura that was inside of the weapon is lost, and so is the 'soul' inside as well. In Cloche's case, if she was destroyed or modified/reforged, she would still retain some of her original personality because it is her own.**

**..**

**Well with that out of the way, I should probably mention updates. For the most part, it is just a matter of QA and making sure that the chapter keeps with the storyboard, which for those who have read wrathie's other fic "A Flower Amongst Devils" you'll know I stepped back from the project because wrathie has a tendency to run away from the storyboard, so it is taking some time to sort through some of it and dealing with IRL issues as well, so it might be a little while until the next chapter, unless I find some time to really go through it all.**

**TL;DR  
I got a lot of IRL issues, and wrathie writes things that sometimes shouldn't be in the canon of PooL because of Catherine. Next chapter shouldn't have as big of a gap but can't guarantee it won't be a little while.**

* * *

..

"Take good care of her, Ruby."

That was Shirou's first words when the entire group had sneaked back into the dormitory without a single alarm being raised.

Ruby had been very impressed by the way Blake and Ren had stepped up to the challenge after Shirou suggested they make it a game to see who can get back to the dorms first, without getting caught. It was extremely childish in Ruby's opinion, but she had relented since she felt that it would be a good opportunity to practice sneaking around before they find Torchwick.

..

Normally, they would need to take an airship to get to the academy but that wasn't possible given how late it was. So all of them had to travel by foot, passing through the dangerous forests that surrounded Beacon just to get near the Academy – and yet both Blake and Ren managed to find a route that let them get into Beacon and to their dormitories quickly and silently.

Ruby realized she had a lot more to learn about being a good huntress after seeing how prepared Blake was , and how quickly she managed to navigate, plan and adapt to all of the challenges that came up while trying to slip past the guards and cameras. She was a little disappointed in herself when she realized that Blake had prepared for this event by uploading a detailed map of Beacon and the areas surrounding the academy.

..

But back to topic, Ruby found herself confused with what Shirou was talking about until she realized who he was talking about. That's right, Weiss wasn't herself the entire way back. Saying she was distracted would be big understatement, but Ruby knew it was more than that. The Weiss she knew would never allow anything to distract her when it came to her role as commander of the team or her duties as a Huntress. The mere fact that Weiss had her head in the clouds and was operating on auto-pilot had her worried from the start – but when Blake had pulled her aside and told Ruby to give her some time, Ruby had relented.

"I'm not the only person who cares about her on this team. We'll be there for Weiss. You too right, Shirou? You, and your team."

Ruby asked softly as she looked up to her fellow team leader and was gratified to see him nod his head.

"We will... but this is something personal for her and for Blake, but I'm afraid of overstepping our boundaries."

Shirou scratched his head but he looked annoyed when Ruby started laughing a little as she slapped him on his shoulder, seemingly amused by his words. He didn't understand why Ruby was finding his words amusing – he was being deadly serious here.

"You were the one who said that there is no reason not to help someone, didn't you, Shirou?"

Shirou's face blossomed into a blush that he couldn't hide as Ruby giggled even more. The tension and unease that he felt from informing Ruby of the bad news was all gone as he watched, embarrassed at Ruby teasing him with his own words.

"Mou... I can't believe you're saying that now, the Shirou that we know would've gone right ahead and helped out regardless of what Weiss says or feels. That's why we love you... ahaha..."

It was Ruby's turn to blush as she scratched her head. Why had she say that in the first place? But it was true though – so she continued on, trusting that there was nothing that could stop her after that earlier screw up.

'We'll help Weiss in whatever way we can as a team, and... if we need your help – we'll definitely call for it. It's like you said, give us some time to sort things out between us... I don't want to be over reliant. Thank you for your help today!'

Shirou found himself nodding numbly to Ruby, and even freezing when Ruby tiptoed to give him a small peck on his cheek before bidding him good night. The Knight of Beacon was instead fixated on what Ruby had told him, it mirrored what Pyrrha had told him previously – that he had to learn 'when and how' to help others. Was he coddling them by trying to help all of them like this?

The kiss was forgotten but Ruby's determination was not, she had looked strong, vibrant and full of determination that Shirou couldn't help but inhale a little and to stand there to contemplate on her actions and _his_ for the future.

He had been reluctant to help because it was a personal matter of Weiss, Ruby had called him out of being a hypocrite to _not_ save her when he said he _would_, and at the end of their conversation– Ruby had definitely won by suggesting that he was _not_ helping them in this way.

It was a whirlwind of emotions that made it hard for Shirou to do _anything_ for a few moments as the epiphany of the moment left him reeling and trying to regain his mental bearings.

When he did, Shirou gave a small groan as another memory struck him like a battering ram – one that made his head throb even more. Was this what Rin had to deal with at the start of the war? He was a stubborn person, he knew that – but he didn't think it would cause such _headache _and _problems_.

"I... I owe her big... Gods, I can't really pay her back for all she's done for me, can I?"

Shirou decided then and there – he had been underestimating the headache and pressure that he had given Rin when she had decided to help him out during the Grail War.

"… I was an idiot."

Shirou declared to no one in particular as he retired to his room to rejoin his team mates, all of them looking tired with the exception of Nora who was happily unpacking and getting her clothes to change.

"Ladies first..."

Shirou mumbled before grinning at how Ren was face down on his own bed – fast asleep. Glad to see things didn't immediately change overnight.

* * *

..

Weiss awoke with a start and she clutched the sheets that she was covered with in sheer reflex. She was in her bed, in her dormitory room with her team, right? Funny how she couldn't remember anything about returning back to the room at all.

She vaguely remembered being helped into her pyjamas by Yang, and then getting a bath – but beyond that she couldn't remember much about what happened after she got back into Beacon with her team.

She was aware that she had been doing everything a little haphazardly, not paying attention fully to what she was doing until her mind had shut down when she was in a place of safety again. Weiss flushed as she touched her fore head – that was an amazingly bad slip up, not worthy of a Schnee at all. If she had been the cause of any accidents due to her carelessness, she would never forgive herself.

Then again, everything had been hazy after her conversation with Kiritsugu. So many lies, so many questions – so many problems that she didn't even try to unravel all the problems that were now presented in front of her.

..

Admittedly Weiss had never gone all out in her pursuit of the truth, it was something that she trusted her father to do – despite the relationship that the two of them had. But when she was presented with the opportunity to find the truth herself, she had acted without thinking. Was that the right thing to do? Had she just revealed a weakness to the White Fang by confiding in Emiya Kiritsugu? But if there was one thing that Weiss had learnt at Beacon – it was to trust in her team to help and support her. Though she might be a hypocrite since she refused to trust Blake when she found out about her relation to Emiya Kiritsugu.

Their statements together with what she had dug up about Kiritsugu matched up with the image of a ruthless huntsmen, but not someone who would ever kill an innocent person like she thought he did to her family. However, if his recollection of the events were true, then that meant that her memory was wrong – which was terrifying considering the circumstances.

..

Realizing she wasn't going to be getting any sleep with these kind of thoughts running through her head, Weiss decided to take a walk to hopefully clear her head and maybe make sense of what happened. With her plan set, she slipped out of bed and made her way towards the door before pausing and looking towards her sleeping teammates with a pang of guilt. She knows she should talk to them about this, but she needs some time to sort out her thoughts first. With that last thought, she opened the door and walked out into the early morning.

* * *

..

Despite rushing out of her room to clear her head, Weiss still couldn't stop trying to remember what happened that night, and the events that followed. She couldn't remember speaking to any investigators about what she saw that night, looking back she realized that she never managed to tell anyone about what she remembered after being taken away from the fire; except to her father. Looking back, she knew she was probably still in shock and was latching onto anything that could explain what happened and why.

..

"But I know for certain that I told my father about what I saw that night. So why didn't he tell me what really happened? If Kiritsugu really did pull me out of the fire that night, then why didn't he disagree with what I saw? Why leave me to believe that he was there and that he left me to die?"

..

"Weiss? What are you doing here... and why are you out here dressed like that?"

"Weiss! You're going to catch a cold if you go around wearing something like that! Here, come run with us, so you won't get sick!"

Nora shouted in concern before taking off into a run before jumping onto the railing nearby. Members of RWBY had always wondered how much aura Nora have, as she doesn't seem to know how to rein in her aura usage, constantly and unconsciously releasing aura. No normal person should be able to have so much aura!

Despite almost having her heart jump out of her chest when Nora landed in front of her, Weiss was unable to be mad at Nora since her friend was genuinely concerned for her as she fretted over Weiss as she turned red at the attention. It was also perhaps partly due to how she was still dressed only in her nightgown and trying her best to maintain her modesty, and image intact with Nora fussing over her as if she was her mother. The only consolation she was that Shirou going to be taking the stairs, giving her some time to compose herself.

"Did you come out to train too? I was training with Shirou – we just finished our runs around the school early!"

Weiss nodded her head while trying to see if there was anyway she could find some clothing to make herself at least half decent before Shirou regrouped with the two of them. She knew that the two of them did their workouts in the morning – but she did not think that they would start and end their workout early, but not this early. Then again, there were worse people that she could have met this early in the morning, one of the staff or god forbid, Cardin Winchester found her like this, she was terrified to imagine things she would've done in embarrassment.

Oh she _was _going to be embarrassed – but if it was Nora, who probably doesn't care, she should still be reasonably safe from any blackmail unless she ends up blurting what had happened today. Shirou was a gentleman and a knight, he would preserve her image for her so there wasn't any reason for her to be worried about him.

Even with that thought at the back of her mind, Weiss still blushed when Shirou handed her his school blazer to help her stay warm and covered up. It was a very nice gesture on his part however and Weiss acknowledged that.

..

"Thank you, Shirou... I, I was lost in thought... and before I knew it, I was here... I wanted to be alone – I guess I failed at that didn't I?"

Weiss sighed wearily, but maybe because it was Shirou and Nora – she didn't. She was thankful actually despite the issue being her problem. Weiss knew that she could at least ask them for an unbiased account, what with Nora being Nora, and Shirou having a reputation of giving good advise. Shirou though – something told her that Shirou would give the best advice out of her friends in Beacon.

Well, maybe Yang too... Weiss was horrified to admit that, but it was also very true that Yang had been the one who had nudged and pushed her to giving Kiritsugu a chance to speak and to listen to his side of the story. Whether that would prove to be a mistake has yet to be seen – what if all that anger and rage she felt until now turned out to have been a mistake?

What was the desired outcome that she wanted. Would knowing who was at fault, would dealing with the person that caused her family death bring her peace? Would that really solve the knot in her heart and stomach when this was all over? What did she want, really?

"Why are you doing here? Did something happen last night?" Nora asked as she sat down beside Weiss, she still had the concerned look on her face while Shirou looked on as he stood in front of her casually.

"… After talking with Kiritsugu, I find myself trying to figure out which of the things I was told were true, and what was a misunderstanding or a lie."

Weiss answered softly while thinking thinking that she should've spoken more confidently as a Schnee, instead of sounding so confused and indecisive.

But how much of a Schnee was she now? She was struggling to live up to the expectations of her family, a family that could've been lying to her for the past 7 years.

..

"I don't understand? Shirou can you please explain?'"

Nora asked while frowning and scratching her head. Weiss looked both embarrassed and scandalized as she apologized to Nora.

"What are you apologizing for? It's not your fault I don't understand."

Nora pouted while Shirou simply looked at their friend before shaking his head and explaining.

"She meant that she just found out that what she previously thought was correct, was actually wrong. Did I get that right?"

That was an inelegant way of putting it, but as it was blunt and to the point, Weiss nodded her head to Nora who rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"I see, I see... so Weiss is thinking on what to do about that?"

Weiss nodded her head in reply while Shirou simply looked on, Weiss found this scene a little surreal – was she counting on Nora for an answer to her dilemma?

"So have you figured out what you're going to do about it yet?"

"Eh? … I – I haven't, not yet, I was trying to think about it now... alone... but..."

Weiss fidgeted in her seat as Nora got up, walked over to stand beside Shirou before she asked.

"Then should we go? If Weiss wants to think about it herself, she wouldn't want us to bother her, right?"

Nora explained with the grace, common sense and dignity of a child while Weiss watched on. Shirou for his part didn't seem too surprised or phased as he nodded his head before turning to Weiss.

"Unless you have something you want a second opinion on, Weiss?"

Shirou was offering his help to Weiss and the heiress pondered on his offer for a moment before Nora interrupted the two of them.

"But she said that she wanted to be alone!"

"Yes – but that doesn't mean I can't offer to help, Nora."

Shirou answered while smiling down at her, as if he was educating a young child that didn't understand the logic – only for him to look surprised when Nora reprimand him seriously while pouting at him.

"Shirou can't help people who don't want to be helped. So if Weiss asks you to leave her alone, you should!"

"I know that Nora, but it-"

"Nora doesn't understand many things – but I know that if Shirou still helped – you're just pampering people! And that's bad! That's what Ren did to me a long time ago... I didn't need help at all!"

Weiss understood that logic – Nora didn't want to be coddled or protected by others. She wanted to solve her own problems – and since this was a problem that she created, it stands to reason that she should solve it herself!

"… Nora's right, I guess... well. Maybe, maybe... I was just hoping that you might have the solutions to my situation, Sir Knight."

Weiss winked at a suddenly uncomfortable Shirou while Nora looked confused.

"I don't... I will do everything that I can when it comes to helping people, but to say that I have solutions to everything is a bit... well I don't, I can't help everyone even if I wanted to – right, Nora?"

Shirou gave Nora a lopsided grin that Nora returned with a brilliant smile as she started pulling Shirou away from Weiss. But not soon enough as Weiss stopped them by standing up and calling to them.

"But could you please answer a question for me?"

Much to Nora's surprise, Shirou actually nudged her to get her to reply first. The leader of SNPR was looking to Nora for the decision making here. Guess funny things do happen in the wee hours of the day?

"Okay! Since Weiss wants it – I'm okay~"

Nora beamed at Weiss who nodded back solemnly. The heiress took a few moments to compose herself before asking the question that had surfaced at the back of her mind when she was with her two friends.

"… I don't know what to do now, but when I do... will you think less of me, if I don't want to find out the truth? I... have found evidence that all might not be as well as it should be in the Schnee household. As a member of the Schnee, I am honor bound to protect and serve my family."

Weiss paused as she realized she was ranting a little and she blushed as she looked at her two friends waiting for her to finish patiently.

"Would you think less of me, if I protected my family at the expense of others if they were wrong?"

It was a question that was necessary for Weiss – she was a Schnee, and the Schnee's strength came from unity and conformity within their established rules and code of conducts. But more than _any_ other family – the Schnee stood by each other, thick or thin.

That was loyalty – that was their strength that allowed the Schnee to survive so many setbacks when others might fall. But – but right now, Weiss did not see the unity that her family had tried to drill into her.

With her concerns out in the open now – it was Nora who answered first while rubbing her chin in contemplation.

"… I don't like it... but Nora understands that family comes first right? If Weiss thinks it is alright – then Nora won't care what Weiss decides to do."

Nora's answer was pushing the blame back to her – how would she know what was right when everyone has so many different expectations for her.

That was not what she wanted.

"That's a hard question to answer – and I would... agree with Nora, but that's not what you want from me. So, if you were to ask me."

Shirou paused as he scratched his head – thinking of the many different ways things could go wrong with just one decision.

"My beliefs lie in the what they call "Utilitarianism"... to decide on a course which the most people would be saved."

Shirou paused for a moment before he gave a weak chuckle as he continued.

"But that's me. It doesn't apply to you, Weiss... I'll be irresponsible and say that I will only support the decision that Weiss Schnee will make by herself – without anyone else telling her what to do."

Shirou was being irresponsible indeed, what made up Weiss now was the culmination of years of education, training and discipline by the Schnee family. Everything she was – she owed it to her family and her family should be _everything_.

"… That's not helpful at all, Shirou, Nora... none of you want to take responsibility for answering my question, but it is unfair for me to expect the two of you give me the answer for my problems... Oh Sir Knight, why won't you save me so?"

Weiss regained some of her humor, she blamed Yang for this as Shirou looked put out while Nora pouted back at her, upset at how she was flippantly dismissing their answers.

"But you'll be pampering me like what Nora said earlier, and I refuse to be a damsel in distress. This is a problem caused by the Schnee, and as a Schnee, I will get to the bottom of this.. and well, I will have to say that, I would be disappointed in myself if I allowed my family to hold me back from doing what is right."

Weiss Schnee puffed her chest out slightly, a sight that was a odd considering she had Shirou's blazer draped over her nightgown.

"But thank you, both of you – for listening to me, even for a little while."

* * *

..

Blake Belladonna found herself cornered by her team mate and friend, Weiss Schnee the moment she stepped out of the bathroom for her morning wash. She had not heard her return, partly due to her shower – but the intense look on Weiss's face meant that she should pay attention to what she was saying now.

'Is this about yesterday, Weiss?'

Her adopted father's story was plausible enough, and she was trying her best to _not_ be biased against him due to their paternal bond. So she was relieved when Weiss revealed that till she got more information on what happened that night, she would not be pursuing the case with Kiritsugu.

"'I will be speaking with the servants, my family, the police – anyone that could give us more details on the incident. Till I get to the bottom of the situation, and the truth, I will not report Kiritsugu's presence or his crimes to the police. He... could be my savior – and that means I owe him a debt of honor."

Weiss looked a little embarrassed as she adjusted her hair a little as she spoke to Blake.

"But keep in mind, if the truth turns out to be that Kiritsugu, was the one responsible for the fire, and caused my family's death – I will not hesitate to bring him in myself."

Weiss warned but she seemed to relax a little when Blake nodded her head.

"I understand – no matter how much I love my father – doesn't mean that I should help or pardon him if he did something wrong. He would never allow it – and would be disappointed in me if I did. So, I'll help you to do that if my father is in the wrong."

There was a hitch in Blake's voice when she replied while looking away– Weiss could tell that she really, really loved her father. But she was the same, she loved her family – but if they did wrong – there should still be nothing holding her back from informing the proper authorities.

It was only right, it was fair – right?

* * *

..

Emiya Shirou was trying to clear his mind using an old meditation technique in the quiet of Team SNPR's room by himself. It was a rare occurrence for sure, but it was of his own design.

After saying their goodbyes to Weiss – Though Shirou still wasn't fully convinced leaving her alone was the best idea – but had decided to take Nora's words for it. It seemed that they did give her the answer that she wanted though as Weiss had quickly set off back in the direction of the dormitories.

From there the two of them made their way to a nearby training field to continue their workout together, this time with some light contact sparring that was designed to help the two of them react better in actual combat situations instead of doing drills and katas with their weapons.

Though for the most part, Nora had no style at all besides bashing the hell out of the opponents that she faced. Shirou tried to resolve this by explaining to her the usefulness and necessity of learning attacking patterns, defensive postures and measures to help her survive in the field.

He demonstrated that personally through spars with Nora in order to help her understand the weaknesses of having no particular style at all. Nora had been a quick learner – and was quickly developing her own style with Magnhild. It also helped that Nora had plenty of energy to go through while creating her style, and plenty of training fields to blow up, courtesy of Beacon.

After going through their spars for a couple of hours, they were picked up by Ren who dropped by to get the two of them to freshen up before breakfast. Despite the fact that Ren was hardly the most energetic of individuals– he was never late when it came to Nora. Shirou had no doubt that the two of them would be joined at the hip for the immediate and indefinite future – he would bet his life on it.

After cleaning up, Team SNPR went to the cafeteria for breakfast where they were joined by Team RWBY who shared with them their plans to head out out to Vale again since it was the weekend anyway. What went unspoken was the results of last night's stakeout – despite the lack of any suspicious activity Kiritsugu and Sun Wukong had called it a night.

Shirou didn't agree with how easily Kiritsugu took the operation down, but then again if the _Fenrir_ who said that the work they did that night was enough for that night. Still Shirou wouldn't put it past him to have set up a few other methods to monitor the situation in secret, or maybe he called for the end of the stakeout to make sure his daughter could get some sleep.

In his memory, Emiya Kiritsugu was a doting father who had give him his ideals after all.

The two teams would be out for another round of stakeouts again despite the lack of success of the first one. Shirou could see the camaraderie between the two teams when neither team hadn't objected to Weiss's request. It was to be a joint personal request from Weiss together and Blake. The Faunus girl was trying to clear her father's name, while the Schnee heiress was determined to find any lead that would help her find the perpetrator who was trying to destroy her family.

At least – that was the official reason, those who were present when Kiritsugu retold his version of that horrible night in Weiss' life – everyone knew that it was in part Weiss's attempt to determine Kiritsugu's true nature and whether he was speaking the truth about what he did that night.

For Shirou, it was just also a personal request for them to take in the crooks who were _crazy _enough to steal from the Tohsaka sister's dust stores. It was a small mercy on their part if they were able to capture the thieves, Shirou shuddered to think of what the sisters would do if they were the ones to get their hands on the culprit. Like Rin said, they'll make sure that they would make an example of those who dared to rob them.

Tomorrow was Sunday, the final night where his childhood friends would be in Vale, and he would have to free some time to meet with them before they left for their next destination. Shirou had been relieved when only Pyrrha asked to accompany him, something he didn't quite mind. It would be good for them too.

But the plans for today was something that he had hoped to do for quite some time already – that was to speak with Crocea Mors about his semblance that he has refused to use at all. Before the events of the Grail War, he would've been content with trying to solve his problems without any plans whatsoever.

Now however, he knew better than to do that. He had some measure of strength, skill and ability – he could not and would not depend on his own dumb luck to get him out tricky situations like before. He was an equal in this world like everyone else – no one would look down on him, show him any mercy because he was accepted into an elite combat academy like Beacon.

So he would have to know what was the extent of his abilities – to know what to push, what was achievable and what he need to do to achieve victory, to save and to protect the innocent.

So in order to prepare for the battles ahead, Shirou told his team that he would like to be alone to experiment with his semblance, this request took everyone by surprise. He should have expected that – he had been adamant about not using any of the benefits that came from aura or from using his semblance. Aura was something that was commonly established as one of the greatest 'tools' that humans had to fight Grimms, and one of the reasons for the existence of Huntsmen and Huntresses.

A Huntsman trained in utilizing his/her aura effectively were notoriously hard to defeat or to injure because they would be capable of blocking incoming attacks, or healing any injuries they would sustain from combat as well. In essence, when fighting an aura user – the real battle was in the their aura reserves. Sometimes even using semblances would pale in comparison to how tough and resilient some people were – people could literally be slashed and hacked at for ages until the other's aura ran out or until they were knocked out from a concussion.

Fortunately though – it wasn't really that simple since aura could also be used to increase strength, and durability as well as powering your semblance. So aura wasn't a stop gap measure for _everything_.

Semblances too were also something that was a norm to use for huntsmen/huntresses. It could be described as an individual and advanced aura manipulating skill that was unique to everyone who could manifest it. It was apparently tied to the user's soul – and the uniqueness was more on how one actually activate one's semblance. One would develop a trigger in one's mind to first unlock their semblance before they could start using it.

For Team RWBY: Ruby had a semblance that allowed her to manipulate her own speed. Blake had a semblance that allowed her to create clones and to increase her own speed similar to Ruby. Weiss had a semblance that allowed her to create glyphs with various effects. Yang had a semblance that allowed her to generate fire.

For Team SNPR: Pyrrha's semblance was the manipulation of polarity or magnetism. Ren's was the ability to manipulate and focus his aura into powerful projectile or burst attacks. Nora had a unique semblance that seemed to allow her to maintain her high energy levels, leading to her hyperactivity; though it doesn't explain just HOW she had the aura to support that semblance.

Semblances were regarded as a trump card as well – the true extent of their abilities were not disclosed to the academy and it was a secret that was only shared between close teammates and friends.

The two teams were close, but even they did not know what Shirou's semblance was or his trigger.

To be honest it didn't take very long to discover the trigger for his semblance – His body was made of steel after all – by using that particular line to help act as his trigger, he was able to activate his semblance. It might be that semblance, aura and magecraft were all connected in the same principle.

..

Naturally they knew he _had_ a semblance, they just didn't know why he refused to use it or his Aura. When first pressed for an answer by them, he had told them that he was a swordsman first and a huntsmen second.

That had been suitably vague enough for them to drop the issue – at least until he had forced Yang into a corner during their combat lesson without using aura. That had been another near disaster that had been averted thanks to Yang taking matters into her own hands.

Shirou was relieved to have Yang off his back, he knew he had proven a point to the blonde on what he was capable of and he hoped that she would just keep it to herself.

She was a competitive and protective woman, Shirou was right to call her a woman too, considering how much she was holding back.

The night that they had shared, he had seen what she had been capable of when all the restraints she had were taken off. It was just an instant – but it was impressive nonetheless to see a woman her age have such overwhelming strength.

She must have gone through hard times to need that strength.

Still – that wasn't the reason for his meditation today.

His aura, and his semblance. That was the key today, and that was why he was speaking to Crocea Mors while meditating on his bed. Meditating was not uncommon in SNPR – Ren and even Pyrrha did that to get into the right state of mind, before sparring with one another. Meditation helped to clear one's mind of distractions and was extremely useful when you needed to induce self-hypnosis.

..

"**So you finally want to speak to me, Shirou~"**Crocea Mors spoke sultrily in his mind as he held the shield and sword in his hands. It annoyed him more than anything to hear her speak in that tone.

"**It's not my fault~ I blame all of my previous wielders~ The only decent one amongst them was your big sister, Taiga! Although she didn't like using me. No matter, that's a story for another time."**

"**No – I already knew that."**

There was nothing Crocea Mors could hide from him, that was an absolute truth – more than anything else in the world. Swords could _never_ hide anything from him even if they wanted to.

"**Oh – I didn't think I told you about that before, Shirou."**

Crocrea Mors definitely sounded surprised as she lapsed into silence, but a moment or two later she perked up again as she giggled in his mind.

"**Ohhh a mysterious boy who can read my mind! I kind of like that, darling~ Now, what do you wish to talk about? Since you know so much about me, I want to know more about you, darling~"**

Crocea Mors giggled again but was cut off when Shirou replied with an affirmative.

"**I've put this off for too long. If we are to truly work together – as sword and master, as partners. You should know who I really am. But before that – you must swear upon your Will of Steel – that you will not reveal this to anyone else. Not even to one of your kind."**

Shirou could hear Crocea Mors sigh after a small pause, the normally playful weapon seemed to sense the tension Shirou had regarding this topic. He didn't expect Crocea Mor's reply however:

"**A weapon slays, a weapon is used, and a weapon can be one with it's master. It's master's will imprinted on a weapon so strongly that it's purpose and desire matches the master. They say it is a legend, a fallacy and how humans wish to explain how some people are that gifted with a sword. But, it's not. It's true, the Will of Steel, like you call it. The manifestation of a sword's will, its purpose – tied to the weapon."**

Crocea Mors paused for a moment before she spoke again, perhaps she was taking pride or joy in how Shirou was unsure of how to reply to that. Shirou knew what Crocea Mors was saying was true – but to hear a _weapon's _view on it was something surreal to him. He'd always thought that it was something that the weapon could not understand or fight against, so would he be proven right here or so wrong? Swords never spoke with him, they never _could _until now. Now he could understand them, instead of knowing them. The difference was slight – but the implications were huge.

"**It's not just aura infusion which can cause that to happen, darling. Aura infusion is to enforce and to hasten the process of the Will of Steel that you speak of. In this age – all weapons who have been created, forged and infused with aura due to their wielder's have this aspect. But it is also a false aspect – one that is born from the wielder's themselves and is nothing more than a shadow of what they could be if the wielder and sword became one. It is a shortcut, it is a fake – and **_**I **_**Crocea Mors, am **_**not**_**. I am real – this is the real Will of Steel. And you, darling, Emiya Shirou – I give you my word, on the pride of my body and sheathe – that I will not betray my owner's trust. We shall be one, darling."**

Crocea Mor's declaration made Shirou relax as he could for the first time, perhaps see the form of Crocea Mors as she stood knelt in front of him.

"**So Shirou, tell me, who are you – a wielder with such instincts as to wield me perfectly like what the previous did."**

"Because, I am the bone of my sword." Shirou whispered softly as he delved deep into the centre of his mind, pulling the presence of Crocea Mors with him into the centre of his world – one that he has seen, experienced and set foot in.

* * *

..

"So... many swords."

Crocea Mors was stunned speechless as she stood inside an alien world. She was a sword – and amongst the many wielders she had, only the _first_ had been able to connect with her. Who had become one with her as the two of them laid waste to countless Grimm before she was betrayed by those that were jealous of her strength in the midst of a chaotic battlefield.

The inner world of the woman who had united the Fujimura Clan was that of a tiny rocky isle in the middle of a raging sea. She had always been struggling against immense odds and with each passing day, it encroached on her wish of peace.

The raging ocean would eventually take her final dream away – but thankfully her life had been ended before it could happen.

The wielders that followed had never connected with her, their purpose uncertain, their will shakeable and none could match the steel will of the woman who had forged and made her.

Still, Crocea Mors had seen glimpses of their inner worlds. From an endless desert to even the bottom of the ocean, Crocea Mors had came to terms with how human's could be so predictable at times.

But this world that she stepped on was something that was not _human_, it couldn't be borne out of a human's soul. A human's imagination was unlimited yes – but this was the manifestation of a human's inner world – his soul.

The ground below her was an orange-red, the color of rust and of blood. It was as if the entire world was stained with blood. Could this young man's demand for blood lust cause cause his inner world to form in this way? Or perhaps it was the blood that he himself shed to protect others?

Besides the oddly coloured earth that she was standing on, the terrain was hilly, the contours varying except for at the centre of the world where she could make out from where she was standing. It was elevated above all else, the symbolism was lost on her as in the distance she could see many swords planted into the ground while holding up _something._ That something seemed to change with every passing moment, and Crocea Mors knew enough about inner worlds to know that was a weakness. A sign that for all of his efforts – he was still conflicted about _something_ deep inside his soul. Crocea Mors did not mind – that was something that every human goes through during their lives.

How could she forget about the swords, the many swords that were stabbed, planted or even buried up to the hilts within this weird but strangely comforting world. She was a weapon, and as a weapon she felt at ease here as do all the other weapons do here. A great deal of them were nameless weapons – swords fought in a war by soldiers who fell in battle without making a name for themselves or carving their own history. There was no Will of Steel in them – but there were those that _did_– weapons which resonated strength, history and purpose.

Besides the swords – the strange red dirt – there were the gears, large and small that were suspended and floating as if by magic all around them. They were still and unmoving, and some even broke apart due to the speed that they were rotating with.

All this in a world that was basked in a dusk – the sun setting in front of her as she stood besides her wielder and owner, Emiya Shirou.

Crocea Mors had to say that she was speechless, impressed and disturbed at the same time. This was his inner world? What was... this was insane and amazing at the same time! She was a sword – a weapon, and in this inner world Crocea Mors could finally understand what Shirou meant when he claimed to know all about her.

He could read her perfectly like no one else could, a resonation between two souls that she did not think was possible before, but now – she was sure it was more than anyone was capable of achieving.

"… You are the bone of your sword, darling? What does that mean?"

"That doesn't matter. What matters now is that you are the first person to have laid eyes on my world who weren't brought here to die... what do you think of it, as a weapon and as my partner."

'That you're an awesome hunk and I want to bed you right now.'

Crocea Mors replied easily while she stood by him, still in awe and shock. Shirou didn't react to that, perhaps he knew what she was thinking – she wouldn't pass it past him.

"You are... an odd, odd man, Emiya Shirou. An inner world like this, a soul that resonates and attunes itself with weapons, specifically swords. I can't describe it... but as a weapon, I accept you, one and all."

Crocea Mors gave a shrug as she walked towards a sword, laying hands on it and casting her presence upon it.

"A sword should always help another sword – and as a weapon – I do not judge, I accept and acknowledge. You humans have ideals, I am the path and tool to reach those ideals. That is all. You don't need to ask whether I accept you, darling – I always will."

Shirou nodded his head but then a small smile appeared on his face as a familiar sword and shield appeared in his hand before he tossed it to her without waiting for her to be mentally prepared for it.

She was holding _herself_, granted it wasn't herself – but it was still her.

"… This is not a semblance, I could tell... your semblance allows you to connect with us, to speak with us. You are doing this by another way. This is not something done with aura...and it's different from how that Faunus girl from the other team could do."

"No, this is not clones... but they might view you as one."

Shirou replied as Crocea Mors fumed unhappily as she wielded herself, she pulling out the sword from the sheathe and studying it before shrugging at Shirou.

"They can, if they wish. There are semblances that allowed could create golems, although they do rank below clones due to the complexity of their natu– What is that look for, darling?"

"… You actually sound wise there."

..

Crocea Mors paused at that before she rubbed a hand over her forehead before giving a deadpan look back at Shirou.

"A joke now, darling? Of all times? I've been trying to get you to loosen up for ages and you do that when I'm being serious? You really can't read the mood, can you, darling? I am a weapon, there are times for games and there are times to be serious. All weapons are fundamentally the same at their core. We are our owners and wielder's tools – their arms and legs. I am always serious when it comes to battles."

Crocea Mors gave a scowl as she crossed her arms, making her more than impressive bosoms press against her body as she looked at Shirou with a glare on her face. Shirou for his part just smoothed his features while giving her a small shrug. Due to her flirtatious nature, he had forgotten that she was a weapon, she was steel – and she could be serious when she wanted to be.

He filed that thought to the back of his head as something to take note of – would all weapons who had the Will of Steel behave in the same way that Crocea Mors did? The main core of their values at least, that of being tools, of being well – _weapons_?

"So... why are weapons with the Will of Steel so special if they are fundamentally the same?"

..

That question had to be asked – he had his own views of what the Will of Steel was, a desire and strength to stand up for what they believed in no matter what. That was the Will of Steel for a human. For a weapon – a Will of Steel was the accumulation of the years, the experience and their values of the sword's wielders for the sword to gain a limit sentience.

So for Shirou, listening to a weapon talking about the Will of Steel, that definitely was interesting to him.

"Weapons who developed a Will of Steel are unique to the nature and the way the bond is formed between weapon and master. All weapons who have a stabilized form, no matter how badly made or ineffective the weapons is – would still qualify."

Crocea Mors explained as she did a few test swings with her own body before nodding her head at it.

"This is almost perfect – you got everything right besides the lack of will here. I guess darling can't make even that, right? No one can. Even if you do say that you know _everything_ about me, you don't. Darling is using what you know from _me_ to make _me_, right?"

Shirou nodded his head at Crocea Mor's words, that was exactly it. The accumulated years, the experience, the materials down to it's very core. What made up the sword and shield that was Crocea Mors was replicated perfectly here in his inner world.

"I don't know how – but anyway, nowadays the Will of Steel is created from constant exposure of the aura signature of the wielder. This makes the weapon similar to the wielder – but a weapons is still a weapon – that will remain their focus and reason for existing. In older times – the Will of Steel is formed through the weapon and the master as one – a sharing of souls for a single purpose. The Will of Steel is a reflection of the wielders will on the weapon – with a shared desire and purpose to achieve through the use of violence."

The last part had Shirou frown a little but Crocea Mors was being absolutely serious as she paused while raising an eyebrow at that.

"Well – it's the truth. Do you swing a weapon and not expect any blood to flow? If so – you are doing it wrong. A weapon exists to fight, to slay, to hurt and to kill."

Crocea Mor's pupil's dilate a little as she raised herself, her sword and pointed it at Shirou.

'You know that, don't you, _darling_. A weapon's destiny is to kill and to hurt. Even if it is not the case – that does not mean that at it's core a weapon is truly a pacifist, a virgin blade. All weapons will draw blood – it is only a matter of time.'

Crocea Mors' words did not affect Shirou as much as the weapon thought it would – she did get the measure of her wielder wrong after all as Shirou simply nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"So is that what you wish to do now? To find a common purpose and desire with me?"

Shirou asked but Crocea Mors shook her head as a lecherous and seductive appeared on her face instead.

"I want us to become _one_, darling. That's a requirement – and to do that, we must make _contact_ with one another."

For his part, Shirou did not react too much as he simply frowned and shook his head. He didn't have much experience with that, but from what he knew, accepting was just asking for trouble.

But he certainly did not expect how Crocea Mors tossed the sword and shield to him instead before materializing her own pair as she held it at a ready stance. He knew that stance, it was the stance of the first wielder of Crocea Mors liked to use. It was a stance that he didn't use because it didn't suit his frame and style.

"You're being so adorable today, darling~ But I'm a weapon, with a Will of Steel. This is the only way we know how to bond!"

And she was on him, her sword flashing in the dim light as she charged straight at him without any hesitation whatsoever. The grin on her face was similar to what Pyrrha would have when she was sparring with him. She was happy about this? About fighting and swinging her sword at him? She was made of steel after all, and Shirou parried her first attempt with the shield on his left hand before delivering a half hearted sweep of his front to force Crocea Mors backwards.

"That is the prerogative of steel, I can't say I did not expect that." Shirou began before swinging Crocea Mors in a threatening fashion towards his weapon. The one who wished to fight her in his own inner world.

How, interesting. It was a novel experience – fighting against his own weapon – a weapon with all the skills of their wielders and the real life experience to count on.

"I accept, Crocea Mors. My name is Emiya Shirou."

"And … I am Crocea Mors, the defender of Vale. You can call me Cloche – it's the name that my first wielder gave me. I do not have as much history as some of the blades you own – nor am I the most powerful, but don't hold back. I want to know all about you, from the top of your head to the tip of your toes!"

After saying her piece, Crocea Mors or Cloche, swung her own weapon at Shirou with such force that sparks appeared when Shirou's shield went up to block it. Cloche was relentless as she pursued Shirou, her weapon swinging in the air to try and keep him off balance.

* * *

..

"Darling... you said you can see all of me... I didn't expect you to mean that literally."

Crocea Mors, or Cloche as she called herself now, pouted as she hugged herself protectively. The reason for her doing so, there wasn't a single shred of her clothing left after Shirou's last attack. Despite being here in his inner world, where he could use his abilities without any repercussions, Cloche had been an incredibly difficult opponent to face. Even if he knew her history – knew her stances, abilities and various techniques that had been perfected. He was sympathizing with her history after all – all of it, what she had gone through, who she had fought, the times where she had been swung, trained, repaired and killed with.

He knew all of that but at the same time he didn't know – as he did not know what Cloche felt about all those experiences – if she did at all. She was steel, she was weapon and _not _human.

So she had been able to push him with her experience and mastery of herself to abandon Crocea Mors the weapon – quite a feat as a sword and shield, which is meant to be used as a defensive and counter-attacking weapon combination than an offensive one.

Still she had managed it - and forced Shirou to use his preferred weapons against her but it wasn't enough. A weapon was a powerful being indeed – not the same level as a servant, but due to their inability to feel pain like what humans could. If this was the materialization of souls that Cloche was able to do in the real world, Shirou could tell that it would be a great asset for him if he could indeed make it happen.

She was like a juggernaut because she couldn't feel pain, nor was there an end to her strength and energy. She just _kept on going_ until Shirou nailed her with his Crane Wing Three Realm which finally exhausted her enough to stop fighting.

It was a battle of attrition against another stamina monster like Nora, now he knew what Yang felt like when he had faced her then.

"… Shush... you."

Shirou panted as he rested on the ground beside the kneeling Cloche. She had a hurt expression on her face as she poked his chin with her finger.

"Give me some of your aura – I want to re-clothe myself." Cloche mumbled softly as she held a hand to him, which he accepted and did as she asked. Now freshly clothed and looking satisfied, Cloche laid down beside him before attaching to his free arm. He did not look that good, he was exhausted – and there was pushing Cloche off this time.

"… You know everything about me, don't you? I know nothing about _you, _darling. Tell me, everything... that's what you asked of me, right?"

Cloche spoke softly, there was no hesitance in her voice at all and Shirou turned to see him looking at him with curiosity, much more than before.

"To the point... I like that. How... do I start?"


	29. Chapter 30

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter __30_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: Merry X'mas guys, I was told to get this out for X'mas, so merry X'mas. I don't have much to say about this chapter besides Cloche has backstory that I might include in an Omake in the future.  
**

**That and the Fujimura's Clan history shouldn't be too scrutinized, as it's put together to give Cloche some history. It might, or might not change due to how confusing the history of Vale is. We'll get back to that when we publish the relevant chapter, so those who are scrutinizing it, please forgive me for jumping the gun. On a last note, I am in a new position at work, and you know that takes alot of time... I don't need to spell it out, right?**

* * *

**XoreandoX: Well, I was hoping to get the other chapters beta'ed and put together so we can get a heads up on the Torchwick hunt, however it looks like even after my exams I can't seem to find the time to get all the chapters to flow together. So in lieu of the holidays I figured we could just push forward the single chapter that was beta'ed and hopefully get some stuff out hopefully before or on New Years. With that said, in this chapter Cloche's feelings towards the other weapons of Team SNPR come to light, and the current situation regarding the Teams and the hunt for Roman Torchwick and what Weiss' decision is regarding Kiritsugu is also addressed here. As a reminder of PooL's current timeline in relation to canon, this chapter and the rest of the Torchwick Arc occurs during the end of RWBY Volume 1. So until next time, Keep on Writing or in my case back to editing.**

* * *

**Razyangel: Tis only a matter of time before we kick it into high gear. More Cloche mind talk!**

* * *

..

"Oh good afternoon Shirou, are you done?"

Shirou started when he came out of his meditative state to see his team in the room and looking at him. Pyrrha was the one who had noticed him coming out of his zone, so to speak, and her question had made the others turn towards him as well.

"Yes, I found my center and was able to work out my semblance a little."

"That's great! Would we be able to see your semblance soon? Please? I really, really want to see it!" Nora asked as she jumped from her bed to walk over to his in excitement. All the members of his team had demonstrated to each other their semblances – barring him of course. They had worked out a few combination attacks as well, so it would be bad for him not to reveal his and to them just like they did to him.

**Oh – oh, am I finally going to be able to stake my claim on you, darling?**

Cloche's voice made Shirou fight to stop raising an eyebrow in response to her words. He had told Cloche everything – what had happened, why he had to do things this way and why he had to continue to do so and Cloche had poured her heart out to him as well.

Shirou could honestly say that he understood the weapon, Cloche, and her own personal view of steel, if he could coin it that.

As with humans, swords have their own views and were unique in each and everyone, like humans like he had said earlier.

Crocea Mors' will of steel was born from the desire to protect – something which Shirou really related to. Her will of steel was developed by her first wielder – Taiga's great grandmother which meant that she had probably accumulated close to or over a hundred years of history.

Even then the Fujimura was part of the Militia trade and she was the first female leader of the Fujimura clan, Fujimura Machiko, who united the different militia camps around Vale under her leadership.

Crocea Mors was forged and made with the intent to be the strongest defence and offence of Vale – hence the pair of shield and sword that could work independently. It was exactly that intent, the ability and training regime that Machiko-sama had gone through that gave Crocea Mors the will of steel.

Crocea Mors was meant to be wielded not just as a sum of her parts, but as it's individual parts as well. Just like in Beacon, the militia of the Fujimuras would always be fighting in pairs. Your partner would be your closest friend and ally in any situation – but for Fujimura Machiko – Crocea Mors was the third team mate together with her partner.

She trained extensively so that she could fight with the sword and shield individually, not just with the sword or the shield when the situation came for it. Crocea Mors was the owner of both the shield and sword, but Cloche did not need to wield _herself _to be a threat, she was herself and she could form her own weapons. That was what made her _so_ _good_ if she was able to materialize herself.

According to Cloche, Fujimura Machiko had came close to materializing her physical form before Machiko was cut down in battle by her own partner – an act of betrayal that still rankled and hurt Cloche till now.

That was a regret that Cloche had carried with her for a while, and part of her obsession with getting her wielders to materialize her in the real world – so she could protect them. All in all – Cloche was a very possessive and protective weapon that Shirou could now call her his partner.

**No – you know we can't do that. Not now, it's not the time yet. **Shirou replied Cloche as he shook his head at his team.

"I've gotten the hang of it... but it's something that I would not want to show off too easily... it's something that is not easy for me to use and... it's like a secret trump card in a sense."

It was the truth too – being able to speak with other weapons and to aid with the materialization of the soul was a powerful weapon no matter how one viewed it.

Being able to learn from the best – one who would know more about their own weapon than another. To have a partner that would _never_ betray you and was in line with the strongest ideals of said person was a dream come true. That said – it was still a remote possibility at best – not everyone could materialize the will of steel in their weapon– but that did not mean that one could not try – it would be much easier with Shirou's help too.

The Knight of Beacon had briefly considered sharing the secret with his team mates but Cloche had bluntly rejected his idea.

* * *

..

**For one, that distorted girl wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut. That's one problem – not to mention Magnhild would want to tear the squirt's head off. The boy's weapon is a cutie pie – but I don't think you would appreciate more trouble than you have in your hands.**

**As for **_**her**_**...**

Cloche actually snarled as she scowled at Pyrrha. The two of them were sitting in the middle of Shirou's internal world, hardly a place for a picnic – but with Excalibur and Avalon planted firmly beside him – Shirou was feeling more at ease than ever before.

So why did he feel a shudder of fear travelling up his back when Cloche mentioned Pyrrha. It had to be Pyrrha, she was the only member of his team that Cloche had not mentioned so far.

**The two of us won't get along – let's keep it that way. The less I see of her, the better.**

So Pyrrha's weapon was a woman as well, that was a surprise.

"You mentioned before that only weapons who had been saturated with a large amount of aura could manifest the will of steel – Magnhild aside..."

The hammer/grenade launcher was one of a kind – in many ways than one. It reminded Shirou of Caladbolg II, the Fake Spiral Sword. Archer was a Counter Guardian, a hero of immense skill that had only gotten even more skilled throughout his life as a Counter Guardian while carrying out the will of Alaya.

To think that Nora was able to achieve a similar state – of changing the original Mjoinir to Magnhild, was something incredible. Shirou had no doubts that Nora would eventually unlock the power of Mjoinir – be it the summoning of lightning or the way the weapon was tied to it's wielder.

"The other two, Akio and Milo and Stormflower, they do not have the history or exposure to have a will, do they?"

**That's normally right, darling~ But with your semblance – they can. All weapons take after their wielders, and although it's premature, and they **_**might**_** change in the future, your semblance allows any weapon to develop, if temporarily, a will of steel that is modelled after the aura signature that they are most attuned or used to.**

Cloche explained with a serious expression before sniffing a little, seemingly upset as well.

**That's cheating a little – no, a lot, darling. But that's why your semblance should be kept a secret. You can, and would, shorten the entire process to develop a will of steel in the first place. And maybe we have to – weapons aren't treated the same as they were in the past.**

Cloche sounded bitter at that and Shirou could relate as a wielder of a non-dust enhanced weapon. Weapon manufacturing and design was making older weapons more and more obsolete – there were hardly anyone who was using a weapon that was not powered like dust like Crocea Mors like he did. They were considered vintage, or classics to others and not worth the time to train in.

Shirou wholeheartedly disagreed with them – any weapon was deadly in the hands of a master.

* * *

..

"Aww... so it's a secret? Okay, I understand! I have secrets too! But is it something very strong? Does it makes things explode?" Nora asked with an innocent smile that made Pyrrha chuckle in amusement while waiting for a reply from Shirou.

She was feeling a little hurt that Shirou would not share his semblance, but there must be a good reason for it. Ren too seemed to take it in stride, their team mate simply listening while looking as tired as always.

"It's nothing like that, it has to do with Crocea Mors... I'm still trying to get it to work properly."

"Oh, can it shoot lasers? Can you make Crocea Mors shoot lasers?" Nora asked again and the question seem to make even Ren interested as he looked from his bed where he was presumably meditating as well.

"It's not like that... it's nowhere as powerful as that.'"

"It'll be _awesome_! It would be like pewwwww and gaaaaaah and BOOM!" Nora ignored Shirou's words as she gestured wildly as she described how by overpowering a sword through aura – she could potentially fire off a beam of pure concentrated to decimate her foes.

If through training he was capable to fire off an excalibur-esque beam with Crocea Mors, he would be working double time just to perfect it. He did not forget what happened the time Saber unleashed that weapon to the unsuspecting world. But Crocea Mors can't do that, right?

**As long as darling is willing to hold me tight where it **_**matters**_**, maybe~**

"But it is a powerful semblance, right, Shirou?"

Ren brought the topic back patiently as he stood up, dusting his pants off. Shirou too adjusted his legs before glancing at the clock, he had been meditating for three hours? That's surprisingly short considering how much he had shared and how long they had sparred – trying to get their two souls to resonate and become one – not to mention all that they had shared.

**Hearing you say that we spent so long together is so embarrassing – darling~ but hearing you think that makes it all worthwhile though~**

Shirou ignored Cloche and choose to nod to Ren instead, giving him a small smile as he stretched and asked whether the three of them would be getting lunch before they started preparing for their training session in the afternoon.

"We should be going if we want to have an early lunch. And... give me some more time – I'll show all of you when I'm ready."

Pyrrha studied him for a moment before she grinned and nodded her head in acknowledgement. The redhead pulled Nora with her to their feet before turning to gesture for Ren to follow her as well.

"Let's go – we got to be training harder if we want to have a small break before we go on another stakeout again."

Shirou spoke as though going on the stakeout was a foregone conclusion – which was true actually. Shirou just wanted to check whether his team was willing to go the extra distance for Team RWBY after all. He would, there was no doubt about that. But would the other three? From the way the three simply smiled while following him, that was a yes.

* * *

..

..

"What do you think the two of them are talking about, Ruby?"

Yang whispered to her younger sister as Team RWBY hung out by the port. It was Friday, and it was the day where the students from the other schools would start entering Vale to prepare for the Vytal Festival held in Vale. Team RWBY and SNPR had requested permission from Beacon Academy to visit Vale to prepare for the tournament, and with that excuse they were currently scouting the competition. At least – that's the plan but along the way they had gotten mixed up in this White Fang business.

They hadn't even gotten into trouble for sneaking back to class last night, that was a minor miracle by itself!

Well they were still killing two birds with one stone, so Yang couldn't complain much.

"I guess, they are probably going about on what they are going to do to verify Blake's father's story?" Ruby replied quietly while keeping her eyes peeled on the docks for any ships or individuals that would stand out.

Weiss and Blake had shared what Kiritsugu had to say to all of them, and although Ruby didn't quite understand the entire context of the situation, but she was trying to at least.

So - Weiss was accusing Blake's adopted father of killing her family, but Blake's adopted father was saying that it wasn't him – and had some circumstantial evidence to prove it. However that evidence hinted that someone in Weiss's family was trying to kill her family and to frame Blake's adopted father for that.

It was confusing and there were many other subtle plots that Ruby couldn't pick up on right now. She hoped that she would do so eventually when she sat down to work through the details with a fine combed brush. She was the Team Leader of RWBY after all– and she was very happy that the two of them were so open and trustful of the team to share such a personal and family matter with them, even if they hadn't outright asked for help _yet_.

Still, Ruby knew that Yang and herself were already implicated in the matter – same with Team SNPR – their very good friends. Ruby was very happy and proud to call Team SNPR her allies and friends who did stick with them through thick and thin. She just hoped that her team can return the same favor to them in the future.

"That's true. It's very exciting isn't it? It's like a story straight out of a novel."

Yang grinned but before Ruby could chastise her older sister for being insensitive and inconsiderate to Blake and Weiss's feelings, she had continued on.

"But it's not, isn't it? It's going to be much tougher for the two of them, no matter what happened and whether we do catch the slimy bastard who hurt you. Roman Torchwick right? He's going down! But after that – we have to help the two of them, okay? It won't be pretty – the sparks would be flying no matter what."

Yang turned to see her sister smiling sternly, and although she returned the smile, she was confused when Ruby gave her a big hug and squeezed her tightly.

"Woah – what's that for, Ruby? Did something go wrong? Do you need hugs? I can give plenty of hugs!"

"No – I'm fine. I'm just reminded on how awesome a sister I have."

"Well I'm certainly awesome enough to warrant that, but really, what's up? You aren't mad that we'll need to get involved in their family's business are you? Ruby, we are a team -"

"And teams stick together through thick and thin. I know, sis, I know. All I want to say is that I want to do the _right_ thing, even if it might hurt one of them. Even if it means that I might hurt Blake."

Yang's eyes widened and after a brief tense moment where she turned to look at how the other two girls were still discussing and writing down notes, she wrapped a hand around Ruby's shoulders and pulled her away out of the earshot of the two girls.

..

"You will take Kiritsugu in if he's responsible for the robbery aren't you?"

Yang asked softly while looking at Ruby, her expression one that Ruby did not recognize or could read. Ruby did feel a little intimidated by the way Yang was looking at her. It reminded her of the time where she was mentally psyching herself to get reprimanded by her father for almost failing a mission in Beacon. Their father was a harsh person due to his reputation and status as an established huntsmen. Yang definitely took after their father if she could replicate that harsh studying look so well.

"If he did something wrong, he should be punished accordingly..."

Ruby replied softly, causing Yang to scratch her head and to play with her hair absent-mindedly in distress as she tried to think of a way to explain to Ruby why that was a bad idea. Yang had heard about the famous Faunus Huntsman Emiya Kiritsugu – apparently Ruby didn't, that was one of the reasons Yang had thought that Shirou was hiding something when he took the same family name as Kiritsugu. It could be a coincidence, but the Emiya name wasn't common in Vale, the chances were slim that they weren't involved.

Emiya Kiritsugu was known as a huntsmen who was a protector, a defender – but at the same time a radical as well. His priority was to save the most people that was possible – even if it meant that he would have to _choose _and _decide _who to save and who would die. He did so too, numerous times – choosing the save the _many_ rather than the _right_ individuals. There was a particular nasty story where it was rumoured that Kiritsugu had abandoned his own Faunus kind to die in a flash flood but saved a bus full of human children instead. It seems that quantity over quality was the crux of the man's decision making skills.

It was something a weaker man would never be able to do or to even steel himself to accept, but Kiritsugu was able to follow this doctrine every single time he took on a mission. Yang had done her research very well on that part – but it was also partly due to how it was just so _easy_ to access the files the Association had on Kiritsugu, like they were encouraging people to know more about him.

It was a conspiracy, she could just feel it! Kiritsugu might have something solid there to work with after all.

"Alright... Ruby... sister... listen to me."

Yang decided to be blunt, that had always worked in the past and as she started, she placed her hands on Ruby's shoulders, gripping it firmly while looking into her sister's eyes. She steeled herself, looking serious and from the start that Ruby gave, she was successful in conveying that this message was a warning, a serious one at that.

"You have a good heart, and a sense of justice. But I'm going to be blunt – you _can't_ take in Kiritsugu even if you want to. Ah, ah, ah!"

Yang shook Ruby when her sister tried to protest to interrupt her.

"Big sister talking now, you, shut it."

Yang sternly admonished Ruby but it was with a grin that made Ruby relax slightly as she settled down to listen again.

"I'm not saying that you _shouldn't_, I'm on the fence in this one – we could always use a hero like Kiritsugu, just like how we have a Shirou in Beacon to help everyone, the world should have Kiritsugu to help the others. And yes, Kiritsugu is a hero, or an anti-hero if you want to be specific – a vigilante who saves people. What's that look for..." Yang scowled at Ruby who was trying to hide her smile.

"I didn't know big sis was such a fan~" Ruby teased as Yang scowled.

"It's not like that – I'm laying the facts down, Ruby. He might be a criminal in name, but he saved many with his actions... I'm on the fence on whether we should bring him in. But... I'm saying we _can't_, and you definitely can't – because you're not good enough."

Yang stated firmly and for a moment Ruby looked like she wanted to protest again – only to stop when she digested the information.

Kiritsugu was one, if not the best huntsmen currently out there. Although they might not have met Blake's adopted father in person, only in passing or from a distance – the fact that he was able to evade detection and capture for so long was a testament to his skills.

"I'll be honest – it was blind luck that got us to meet him. Or maybe it was just Blake – I wouldn't have spotted him myself – guess the Faunus track people differently. But in a straight up fight, we can't win. Kiritsugu, he _kills people_, he had killed, and he is good at that too."

Ruby's eyes widened at what Yang said – it went against everything that she had known of Kiritsugu, wasn't he supposed to be a savior.

"… He kills, I'm pretty sure of it. It isn't public knowledge– but some of his earliest rumours of him was the assassination of corrupt business leaders who were mistreating the Faunus. The charges were never proved, but the fact was that there _was _a hit – and the best person for the job was Kiritsugu. It didn't help that the businesses that were hit were linked to the White Fang. One life, to save many – that was supposed to be his ideals."

Yang paused before turning back to see Weiss and Blake still talking with each other as they watched the port sparsely – waiting for any boats to come in.

"… I can't say that we're safe – even if Blake agrees with us. And if Blake is against us – you are not allowed to try anything."

"B-But, it's wrong – he... did bad things!"

"I know, but that doesn't mean that I'll allow you to be stupid and get yourself killed if he thinks you're a threat. You're nothing to him, none of us are."

Yang's statement made Ruby pause – her older sister had never said that she was weaker than someone – but talking about Kiritsugu made her do so? Was she embellishing the truth for her sake? It was something that she _might_ do after all.

"And Shirou would support Kiritsugu – that much I'm sure. Kiritsugu is his godfather after all. Think about it, Shirou and Kiritsugu together... staring us down..."

Yang shuddered and Ruby agreed with her. Shirou was the best in their class, and that was without dust enhanced weapons or the use of aura. It was amazing how _anyone_ could get that strong and powerful without the benefits of aura usage. It boggles the mind, and how strong would Shirou be _with_ aura enhancements?

"… You're probably right..." Ruby admitted with a defeated smile, guess they would have to allow Kiritsugu to walk despite her reservations about the matter.

* * *

..

..

"So... you're here today too."

Emiya Kiritsugu stated softly as he dropped from the shadows of the roof behind the members of Team RWBY and SNPR. They were continuing their stakeout today and had agreed to meet at another meeting place before moving to their designated positions.

"I won't stop till I clear your name, dad- I mean, Kiritsugu."

Blake blushed at the slip up and a rare smiled graced the stern features of Kiritsugu before he nodded. To his side, Kiritsugu's companion Sun gave Shirou and Ren a wave before taking a nervous step back from Weiss.

The Schnee Heiress had a neutral expression on her face, the same one that had graced her features till she had lost her composure. In truth, she was still edgy about Kiritsugu and his story, but till they were verified – she would be here to observe and to judge for herself his true intentions.

"And you too, Schnee... you are here today too."

Kiritsugu did not know what to make of that, he had been sure that the woman would have sold him out by now but she didn't, perhaps she did and Blake did not know. Either way, he was prepared for a fighting retreat after meeting his adopted daughter and godson for the last time.

Still – nothing happened, and he continued the conversation that had been dropped previously.

"So what are you planning to do now, Schnee?"

"It's Weiss. My name is Weiss Schnee, Emiya Kiritsugu."

Weiss spoke up after being addressed in her family name, a name that she was unsure of right now. She had been loyal, fanatically so to the ideal of a Schnee – but Kiritsugu had sowed doubts in her mind. Perhaps that was his ploy, it _would_ seem like his ploy to sow discord among the Schnee.

However Weiss doubted that – if he truly wanted her life, or any of the Schnee's life, he would have taken her and use her as a bargaining chip. He would not have tried to defend himself since he had nothing to lose, he was a criminal, a radical, a terrorist.

So... she just have to find out for herself.

Kiritsugu raised an eyebrow at Weiss's introduction as if he did not know how to react to that, causing Weiss's lips to curl up in what could be a smile as she looked at the confused Huntsmen. She had caught him by surprise, that's good!

"I will find the truth, Kiritsugu, depending on the truth – we could be allies in your cause. The plight of the Faunus is not unknown to me, thanks to a particularly nosey individual that I know."

Blake blushed at Weiss's words while Ren just rolled his eyes. Shirou, the person that she was targeting was unaffected as he paid attention to her.

"If you are speaking the truth – and that someone within the Schnee household is manipulating matters, I will get to the bottom of this... and after that – invite you to help us change the relationship between us."

Weiss's statement made Kiritsugu pause again before he chuckled.

"That is impossible – a girl like you do not have the power, and I doubt the sincerity the your words, Schnee. Do not try to butter me up with words, it will not be so easy to sway my opinion."

Kiritsugu answered with a curt scoff before turning, seemingly disappointed at Weiss's words and her lack of conviction.

"Perhaps – but that does not mean that my wishes and dreams will be shattered just because you doubt my conviction. I am merely stating it for all to hear, beginning with you."

Weiss said so imperiously while Blake nodded her head in agreement. It was something that the two of them had decided amongst themselves – that they would change everything if Kiritsugu was right.

"They say that the meek shall inherit the world when chaos reign, but in times of peace – the strong dictates the way things goes... and the old, shall give way to the new. Show me proof of your innocence– Kiritsugu, and I shall show you the strength of the Schnee. That is why I am here today, and why we will find the culprit behind the crimes. That is, If you are willing to do so."

Weiss's challenge made Kiritsugu want to laugh at how stubborn and opinionated the Schnee was – but it was fine by him, there was the fire there – one that he could stroke and encourage, and maybe she _could_ change the world. Stranger things have happened after all.

"Come then... the night is young."


	30. Chapter 31

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter __31_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

* * *

**Author's Notes: Wow, an update! First of all, RIP Monty Oum, XoreandoX told me about the news and I was totally floored about that.  
**

**We lost a great man that day, and I hope to dedicate this fic to him as well for making RWBY, it's really a great series, and I wrote about that almost immediately after watching the first season.**

**Thank you Monty Oum, you will be missed sorely.**

**XoreandoX also covered most of the reasons why it took so long to update, and I would like to reassure all of you that I did not drop PooL. If I do, I'll post the outline on what was planned to happen. And I'm not that stubborn... really. **

**I would also like to raise that Yang's semblance had been determined and planned before the release of Season 2, and I'm sticking with that. We'll try to find a way to merge the canon abilities though.**

**Hopefully we'll release the next chapter soon~**

* * *

**Beta Notes: **

_XoreandoX: Well, don't got much of an excuse other than being busy with RL issues. Mostly finding work for my work term for school. On another note wrathie has been focusing on Flower given that's where most of the inspiration lies, so I've had to work on this on and off while doing other things. Not too much to say really, wrathie wrote a bunch of stuff for PooL before we started on Flower, so it isn't likely to suddenly just drop off in terms of writing for a year unless wrathie completely loses interest in the project entirely, it'll just take a little bit longer given our little issue with getting a schedule together with our betas. With regards to the chapter, this one may or may not feel a little off at times due to a revision I had wrathie do, due to a conflict of opinion regarding Penny. Most of it was wrathie being ridiculously stubborn and trying to ignore evidence regarding what we were seeing evident in both Canon and what we discussed regarding the world of PooL. Besides that the only other real thing to note is the little segment regarding Nora, it's really just suppose to give everyone an idea about how Nora thinks in comparison to everyone else with her 'disability' and what she sees in other people who don't think like her. Regarding the final scenes, and given how long it has been since someone has read PooL most likely, I'll leave another A/N reminding people that we are aware of Yang's semblance and that the reference to her generating fire is mostly tied into observation done by others, not an omission from Yang herself. For the time being, I'm still in the midst of looking for work suitable for my program so I might be able to put time into working on PooL when I'm not too busy so I don't have a definite schedule on when chapters might go up._

_.._

_Finally I would like to give mention to Monty Oum, who passed away Feb 1st, 2015 and hope that we as a community (Fanfiction, Rooster Teeth, and RWBY Fans) have made him proud with our efforts in sharing our creative thoughts with regards to the beautiful world he and the RWBY team have created._

_.._  
_"We tend to be masters of our own fate, the only thing stopping us from doing the really cool things is Time", Monty Oum_

* * *

..

"Salutations – Friend Ruby! What are you doing here?"

Ruby was unable to stop herself from giving a shrill shriek in surprise. The now very familiar voice and face of Penny appeared in front of her, startling her as she stood in front of Ruby. Ruby was currently patrolling the streets around the Dust Shop with Nora before Penny's sudden appearance which might have blown their cover.

Ruby had spent the better half of her afternoon, yesterday with the inquisitive and probably very lonely girl. Penny seemed so naïve that it hurt to look at her sometimes because of how optimistic she was in any situation. Ruby was hard pressed to meet her enthusiasm and positivity – at times it seems that nothing was never too 'new' for Penny, there were a few occasions where Ruby had to clamp a hand over her mouth to stop her from bothering the store owner too much and getting them kicked out.

Penny's antics and reactions were genuine though, and Ruby wondered what kind of childhood Penny had given how excited she looked about having _friends_, perhaps she was a sheltered heiress that had run away from her castle and was currently trying to experience the world before she was whisked back to living her sheltered lifestyle….. maybe she's been reading too much of Blake's stories.

Ruby has spent many enjoyable hours with her team mate just reading her books as a team bonding exercise during their down time together. Many of Blake's books were stories about heroes rescuing princesses from some villain or giant Grimm, which is probably why Ruby to started imagining herself as the 'prince' who was introducing the 'princess' to the world outside of her castle.

Soon Ruby would be pursued or hunted down by the family of princess Penny – thus forcing the two of them to elope far, far away. Right – she was getting carried away there.

"How did you just, appear behind me like that?"

Ruby was on patrol and even if she had separated from her partner, Nora, she was still on guard and actively looking for signs of trouble. How could Penny just, _appear_ without her noticing at all? Then again – Penny was apparently a participant in the tournament next week during the Vytal Festival.

Weiss would be excited to find out more about a potential competitor, but with her mind fully occupied with this fiasco involving Blake's adopted father and Shirou's godfather, it would be up to Ruby to gather some much needed information from Penny.

Penny's catch phrase seemed to be that she was 'combat ready' and was used to deflect some of Ruby's more obvious questions such as, who her other team members were was brought up frequently in the past, however Penny's only was always "I'm Combat Ready Friend Ruby!".

Which was odd because the Vytal tournament was primarily a team competition, while there were 1v1 fights during the tournament it was always between two opposing teams. The tournament after all was a place where the participants would get their chance to fight it out and showcase their skills and abilities for all the kingdoms of Remanent. The results and the subsequent grading of their tournament performance would act as their extra credit for the entire year – and there were many students, first years as well as senior students would be taking part in the tournament.

But all of them would be in a _team_, and Ruby had initially thought that Penny was just trying to deflect her question, or that she was just joking when she said that she was going to be part of the tournament. But Penny had been adamant about her participation – which made Ruby wonder how much of Penny's confidence was due to her being naïve and unaware of the kind of people she would be facing or did she have some sort of ace in the hole that convinced her school to her participate alone.

It was very difficult for Ruby to accept that there was a school or organisation that would allow their reputation to be placed on Penny's shoulders like that? She was training to be a huntress, and huntresses are expected to kill, and honestly Penny's over confident and naïve mindset alarmed her as it reminded her of another similar person that she called her friend. Ruby really hoped that Penny had a switch to turn her very cheerful and naïve personality to a more serious one when she performed as a huntress.

One Nora was enough, she was sure that the world would not be able to deal with _another_ one, especially since she was certain that as long as Team SNPR was participating, the two of them would cross paths together.

If the two eccentric and painfully optimistic individuals met, and if they got along together – Ruby was sure that devastation would be the only result. She shuddered in fear and sympathy of those who would dare stand in their way.

..

Penny gave Ruby a bright smile as she saluted, snapping into attention before grinning at her again as she answered Ruby's question.

"I'm always combat ready, Friend Ruby. What are _you _doing here?"

Penny asked Ruby patiently while the leader of Team RWBY considered her options while leaning against the wall to keep herself calm. It wasn't a disastrous situation just yet, after all Penny had shown herself to be very loyal to her in the past – the repeated cries of 'Friend Ruby' as proof of that. The fact that all it took for Ruby to earn that trust was acknowledging and making friends with Penny made her feel very awkward and suspicious to say the least – but she wanted to believe and trust Penny.

It was just like Nora, who was a sweetheart despite how violent and crazy she might get. Besides – it was people like them that really made her day, and after Shirou's words with her, made it more clear to her that there was more to life than just trying hard to save everyone. She had people around her who wanted she wanted to be around and to share her life with – and she remembered the panicked look that Shirou gave her when she told him of her dream.

To save, and to keep saving people – that seemed to be a good enough dream. Shirou disagreed – and maybe, just maybe, she might have gotten a little too driven and obsessed with that dream after finding out that was Shirou's dream too.

Ruby did not know _why_ Shirou had seemingly turned his his back on his dreams that had drawn her to him, but it must be bad – and if there's one thing that Ruby trusted, it was Shirou's judgement and views.

Shirou's words had made her more aware of herself and how those around her would be affected if she kept on fighting hard to accomplish her dream. It wasn't a bad dream, but there were limits – limits that Ruby was certain that she would face at the end of this investigation. No matter what – she came to the conclusion that she couldn't save both Blake's adopted father if she wished to uphold the law.

She knew first-hand how dangerous Roman Torchwick was and how close she came to dying if Ms Goodwitch had not helped her at the last moment. They were going to confront the dangerous individual, and the odds were that lives were going to be lost in that confrontation, it was a foregone conclusion – that had the predictable result of more crimes being heaped on top of Emiya Kiritsugu's name on process of elimination alone.

She couldn't save Blake's adopted father if things went out of hand, and it certainly would. She couldn't save everyone, and the dilemma was made even worse if they took Kiritsugu in now, they might be able to save _more_ lives if they could capture Roman Torchwick and his flunkies without excessive violence.

Even Ruby herself didn't believe that – but if Penny was with them, and if she was as combat ready as she claimed she was, their chances would improve dramatically if she helped them, right?

"I'm here patrolling, Penny. I heard rumors that there might be another break in so I'm trying to do my part to help!"

"Oh! Okay – would you want help, Friend Ruby? Friends always help each other right!"

Ruby could only hope that it would be enough.

* * *

..

Nora Valkyrie wasn't that much of a complicated individual, she was cheerful to a fault and rarely, if ever took the time to think before she said something. Shirou had said that she was distorted and odd, but she didn't think it was a bad thing.

After all, she viewed the world simply – if she was okay with herself, she wouldn't need to really think about what else the word thinks, right? Especially if she had Ren at her side, and pancakes. Pancakes are definitely something she wanted to be by her side~ Ren didn't care that she didn't see things the same way, and she didn't mind that he was different too – no, that wasn't right. She adored Ren for what he had done for her when no one else had.

He stuck by her, regardless of what others said about her – told her, and tried to tell her what she should be doing – Ren had never questioned her. Maybe she needed that faith, that unwavering loyalty for her to keep her going on and maybe because she viewed Ren as special, no one knows her like Ren does!

Because instinctively she also knew that she was odd – her mind would wander, it was hard to focus – and the source behind all of that was the energy she had inside her. But she couldn't help it! It's not her fault if people don't understand her!

She could never get tired and she was always jumpy, the energy she had was telling her to do something, anything – even if she knew instinctively that Ren would love to do nothing more than rest and just conserve energy.

Nora once wondered whether she could share that energy with Ren in some way, or for him to experience what she was experiencing for a change.

Hmm, maybe Ren was her polar opposite after all – perhaps just like how much her body and soul told her to use that energy, Ren's body and soul was telling him to stop moving and rest? She wouldn't put it past Ren to have that sort of mentality, just like how she can never cook pancakes like Ren, she can only eat them. Like that!

It was an interesting thought - one that tickled her funny bone for a while till she had openly asked Ren whether it was truly like that. Ren's reply that it doesn't matter to him pacified her more than she cared to admit. If Ren really was odd like her, meant that the two of them were still at heart, alone from the rest. And that's something she wanted! Very much so!

She didn't mind being abnormal, she had read many books that had shed light that it was alright to be like that. In the same vein, when Ren had caught her reading those books, he had wordlessly dismissed them and said that by simply acknowledging one was odd was an admission in itself. To Ren, those books were worthless, and Nora believed him. It was one of the few times that Ren had been fully focused while he spoke with her softly. He was always sincere, but he always had that lazy, accepting attitude of his that even Nora herself could tell that he was different, somewhat like her and she would never want Ren to change that!

But she didn't care – not really, she had said it before – that even if abnormal, even if she had to admit it and acknowledge it, she doesn't, shouldn't, wouldn't care. She was herself – even if at times she might doubt it.

She wanted to be a huntress because she wanted to fight, fight, fight, fight and fight till there was nothing left.

And if someone asked why she wanted to be a huntress when she could barely focus on the classes, Nora could happily say that it was because she _wanted_ to and it helped that Ren was okay with it too!

She wanted to use that energy in a good way, to channel it to something that she could do – and if there's one thing Nora was good at, it was using her body. She just felt bad that Ren had to be dragged into the mess too, but if he did not mind, neither should she question her luck in having him with her. Nor did she ask why Ren had embraced her suddenly one fine day after he and Shirou had talked. She was her, she was who she was – even if they might have found a new term 'distorted' to describe who she was, she was still Nora, righ?

She did not ask – for she feared the answer might change and Ren won't make pancakes for her - she really needed pancakes now!

But in the end, everyone should agree and accept that there was only Nora, who she was and the only one default reaction for her was excitement – regardless of what happened.

* * *

..

'Heeey! Who's that!' Nora questioned out loud, perhaps a bit too loud considering they were in the middle of a covert operation.

But this was Nora, and Nora was almost never not loud and Ruby suppressed the urge to facepalm and instead chose to smile at Nora instead. Be patient – this was for the better good, really it was! If Ruby had to keep convincing herself that was the case – perhaps it wasn't, but it was too late to back out now.

She had made a decision based on her capacity as a leader to recruit another individual that would help their cause. Their cause being to stop Roman Torchwick from stealing more Dust for their nefarious purposes.

The fact that it also served the purposes of clearing Blake's Father's name and also help out Rin as well. Of course, this operation had some personal motivations behind it but Ruby didn't care as long as the bad guy gets put away.

What Roman did was wrong, and it had the potential to hurt or at least potentially hurt more people if he and his gang get away with it. No one ever needed that much Dust for personal use. It was like they were preparing for war, only the military would ever have that much Dust on hand.

Rin had even alluded that they had taken _all _the dust and not a single register was looted from the branch that they had robbed. If they continued to amass that amount of dust, creating an entire stockpile of dust powered bombs was not a pipe dream.

Ruby smiled when Nora beamed at Penny, the cheerful girl scrutinizing Penny as she waved at her. She jogged towards the two of them, her eyes fixed on Penny before turning to Ruby to smile at her too.

"Hey Nora, this is Penny she's a friend of mine. Penny, this is Nora, she's one of my classmates."

"Hi Penny! Nice to meet you!"

It was a relief for Ruby that they had met Nora first, out of all her friends, she was the person who would most likely be able to accept Penny's quirks without question. Heck, Ruby was sure that Nora wouldn't even view Penny as odd in the first place. Then again, she was still slightly concerned about the things they could get to together... Nora might not be the best individual to be with the impressionable Penny at all!

There was something off about Penny though, Ruby was sure of it – just like how she was sure that Penny didn't have any friends before meeting her. That would be... a very sad childhood.

Maybe Penny was a sheltered princess like she first thought, if that's the case then Ruby should probably...yeah, she should stop thinking about that right now and focus on the mission. What would Shirou think if she admitted that out loud? He might think lesser of her!

Before Ruby could dig herself deeper in a hole in her imagination, Penny walked up to Nora instead with a curious giant, the way she walked similar to how she had cornered _her_ when confirming that she was indeed her friend.

Well – that was easier than Ruby thought at least...

* * *

..

Nora wasn't sure what she felt about this new person that Ruby had introduced to her. Penny was nice enough at least, and that had made her happy. Which was odd – since she never thought much about that when it came to everyone else.

To her, people were either friends or they weren't. There was also a very clear case of who was what too – if they were mean to her, or at least seemed like they were lying to her – they weren't friends.

Nora didn't know, but Ren had known for a long time that Nora was quite a good judge of character. If Nora liked and trusted someone, he or she were very trustworthy. Hence when Nora had warmed up to Shirou almost immediately, Ren had done the same.

However Nora wasn't able to figure out what Penny wanted. She said she wanted to be friends with Nora, but Nora was pretty sure she didn't know what being friends meant, it was like she just wanted to be called friends, and that was easy enough.

Nora had agreed, and although Penny seemed pleased, and grasped her hands before spinning her around in circles, Nora still wasn't sure if that was really all she wanted, before promptly dismissing or forgetting about everything else when Ruby stopped Penny.

"You've made your second friend, Penny. I'm happy for you."

"Yes, Friend Ruby, I did make my second friend. I shall cherish my friendship with the two of you always." Penny turned to nod seriously at the two of them, something that Nora felt was sincere.

That settles it, Penny was going to be a good friend to her as well! A new friend, one that she could understand better somehow and Nora glomped Penny around in the waist before spinning her around as well.

Penny was, surprisingly heavy for her size, and stiff too – but Nora didn't mind. She was stronger than most girls her size too!

"Nora, Nora, let Penny go!" Ruby panicked as Penny gave a loud shriek of joy, was that joy? Nora didn't care till Ruby tugged at her shoulder urgently.

"Nora, we're on a mission, covert, remember?" Ruby reminded with a sigh and she smiled when she acquiesced, letting Penny stand by her own power before smiling happily at them anyway.

"I know, we have to maintain our cover, right?" Nora pointed out intelligently and Ruby had to agree – they were not supposed to stand out, but even if they were now, they looked and acted like the part of a group of friends meeting up with one another. She'd suppose it had to do for now.

* * *

..

The three of them had stuck with each other, taking their time to window shop while Nora and Penny had started to get to know each other better. It was like what Ruby had suspected before, Penny knew a lot of things, but didn't get the chance to experience those things. She kept quoting things she had read it in a book before, never once saying that she had used, read, or wore things that she was pointing at in the clothes shop they were peering through the window.

It was times like these that made Ruby glad that Vale was a city with an active night life, seeing that she was sure that stores would be closing so late in the night. There were plenty of people about, walking around in pairs, mostly couples.

She knew that the three of them looked odd, and found it a little embarrassing and ironic that all three of them could pass off as younger girls if they wished to. Ruby was never proud of her height, nor of her petite features. She understood that she hasn't hit her growth spurt yet, but with a sister like Yang, whose body truly made men drool, that was hardly any consolation.

She hated to compare, but Ruby also knew that although Nora was also comparable to her in her figure, and was still a few years older – she was able to come off at least as a young woman. She had a certain, charm and surprising maturity with her look.

Perhaps partly due to how she always acted and looked confident no matter the situation. Ruby herself, although having shrugged off most of the confidence issues after confessing to Shirou and her team, hadn't quite broken that habit of second guessing herself at the start. She would do better as time goes by, but the first impression people always got was that of a scared, timid, little girl.

Ruby hated that part of her, so she tried her best to cover it up.

For Nora's part, her friend just didn't care and continued to be herself – something which showed as she was still dazzling everyone she meets with her cheery personality.

Penny on the other hand, could be described as petite but not as a child either. Viewing Penny, was similar to viewing Nora in a twisted way. The two of them were similar and yet different. While Nora kept her endless optimism, Penny was naturally curious and her large, questioning eyes were similar to Nora.

Nora was vocal, very much so when it comes to anything she was interested in and could out talk anyone, rambling about nothing in particular. Penny was naturally mysterious but she still managed to show similar enthusiasm like Nora when interacting with others. The two were alike, and yet different. It was endlessly frustrating to see the two interact in so many different ways and yet still be like mirrors to each other. Ruby wasn't sure why she was frustrated, perhaps she was a little jealous? She shouldn't be – give how Penny still deferred to her with almost robotic fashion, asking her opinion first regardless of who out of the two of them asked her the question.

She suppose she should be flattered, but she was a little weirded out now. Still, it could be worse.

Especially when a couple of blocks down the road, the windows to the Dust shop that they were supposed to be guarding was suddenly shattered with several large booms emanating from the store. The three of them didn't see someone placing an explosive on the windows, could it have been done on the inside, if so why?

..

Ruby didn't have time to think as she sprinted towards the shop, her hands fumbling with the sheathe to Crescent Rose, she disappeared in a burst of speed as she used her semblance to get there faster to stop whoever was there.

"That was fast, friend Ruby, how did you do that?" Penny remarked, making Ruby jump as somehow, Penny had kept up with her when she had sprinted towards the shop. She felt a little guilty that she had not checked on Nora and Penny before she dashed away, but now was not the time. The alarm of the shop had been set off, the tell-tale signs of circulating red lights showing that at the barest minimum, they had installed security alarms in the shop.

Ruby shot Penny a pointed look before giving her the universal signs to keep quiet. It was just too quiet, Ruby knew she was jinxing herself but she didn't care as she kept her weapon ready and close while scanning for any life within the shop itself.

The Dust shop had closed earlier, but that didn't mean there weren't any casualties, right?

"Wait for Nora!" Nora finally caught up with them after Ruby made a preliminary scan of the shop from outside of the shop. With proper backup, she felt more confident and she turned to Penny.

"Do you have your weapon with you, Penny? We are going to search the building, and it'll be great if you could watch our back for us." Ruby asked patiently, hoping that Penny would agree. She shouldn't have worried as Penny gave her a salute before pulling out two small swords that she held with her two hands.

"I'm always combat ready for anything, friend Ruby and friend Nora. Let me help." Their friend beamed and Ruby nodded in acknowledgement and relief.

"Nora, our six please. I'll scout ahead, I'm counting on you to guard the two of us, Penny." Ruby spoke, a hint of authority in her voice as the two of them entered the shop carefully and with trepidation. Ruby was finding it odd that there was no one else coming to help them, she was at least expecting the robbers who were trying to seal the Dust to appear by now. They had just missed the perfect opportunity to try and steal the Dust, right?

Wrong – and Ruby only knew a moment too late when she saw the destroyed Dust containers, still leaking dust onto the wreckage. She took this in before she heard and saw something beeping softly within the wreckage, a small, easily concealed package that was stuck firmly below the broken Dust containers.

"Nora, Penny - " Ruby tried to shout a warning, but by then, everything went white.

* * *

..

Yang Xiao Long had seen _many_ things in her misadventures. The part of her that had seen those unsavoury acts made her react faster than Pyrrha as she turned on her heels to run at the direction of the explosion that rocked and broke the silence of the night.

Her pace quickened when Pyrrha, who had ran after her – shouted that it came from the direction her sister was guarding. Any one who tried to mess with her friends, _especially_ her baby sister was going to _pay_.

Yang pumped aura into her feet to run faster and to her amazement, she faintly glowed gold, fitting for her hair color as she sped forward in a manner similar to how Ruby would. Her younger sister was a speedster, she was the _fastest_ person in their entire year and she had showed her team how to run fast.

Keep her head down, arms to the side and to take shorter strides to keep from overextending and to push herself further. It was those simple steps together with experience and her light weight that made Ruby run faster- Yang didn't buy it – but a technique was a technique and she was able to improve her timing with Ruby's help anyway.

She noted that she had outpaced Pyrrha by a large margin and when she abruptly screeched to a halt when she located the source of her distress, Pyrrha barrelled into her back , sending the two of them into a tangled heap of limbs much to her discomfort. Then again, she was sure that Pyrrha was just as shocked and awed at what she had saw.

In front of them, in the middle of a pile of rubble in what seemed to be the remains of a shop house, was her sister and Nora.

That wasn't too odd, Yang had the sneaking feeling that eventually Nora would bring a building down on herself due to her antics. No, what was surprising was how in front of her and looking very singed, and covered in soot but still standing and smiling was a young girl that must have blocked the majority of the explosion for her two friends.

Why, one might ask – it's simply due to how that girl's back was peppered with shrapnel, bits of wood and glass and well – she looked completely fine from the front.

That was just – disturbing and she was glad that the two of them were safe. That girl, she looked like a mess – so what was she doing just standing there!

"You okay? That's a stupid question – SOMEONE GET A MEDIC HERE!?"

Yang screamed as she tried to untangle herself from Pyrrha, the other huntress looking just as distressed as she pushed Yang forward. She had no doubt that Pyrrha would be calling for help, so she rushed forward to see what she could do for the girl who had just saved her sister and her friend.

"Oi, answer me, hang on, alright?" Yang shouted again as she reached the three of them, only for her eyes to widen in shock and confusion when the girl, who should be dead at this point, turned at her and smiled.

"I'm fine. I'm combat ready! Could you help me to remove the shrapnel? I can't reach them myself.' The girl, Penny she assumed, turned to show them the extent of her injuries.

Her sister flinched while her mouth dropped at how casual the girl said that. She had seen worse, but she was still appalled at Penny's pain tolerance if she could just wave those injuries off.

"Okay!"

Nora, on the other hand, simply reached out to start pulling out the glass and metal shards embedded inside the other girl's body without much concern or worry. It was disturbing enough, but the weirdness factor went higher when the wounds that the girl had seemed to be closing whenever Nora pulled out the shards.

"A semblance?" Yang muttered before helping Ruby up, and continuing to look at the disturbing scene in front of them. Yeah, it doesn't get any weirder than this...

..

When Pyrrha finished her call with emergency services, she looked up to see her friends gathered around the girl that was riddled with shrapnel and wounds – only she looked much better and undisturbed by her wounds.

Seriously – that was pushing it, and made a note to herself that Yang looked like she was on fire with how her aura was glowing. Actually with the way her hand was clenched Pyrrha could almost see the beginnings of a small fire collecting in her hand.

"That is some weird shit. But... you're better now, right? Well in that case, thanks... for saving my sister, whoever you are. Penny, right?"

Yang offered a hand to the weird girl as Pyrrha approached, only for Yang to pull away when she noticed steam rising from where she had grasp the other girl's hand. Looks like she wasn't imagining it, when the other girl looked at her palms, they were blackened – similar to burn marks after she touched Yang's hand.

"What the fu- hell – What, I didn't do that!"

Yang almost swore but she looked just as panicked when Nora poked the girls' hand curiously.

"It's Hot! Really hot!"

Ruby, although a little still out of it, reached forward to help the girl with healing her hands – even if they were looking better by the second. Perhaps this girl had an insanely powerful healing aura like Velvet did?

Never had Pyrrha been happier that Nora had a one-track mind, she was currently still looking at how Ruby was trying to help bandage the girl's hand. Yang was looking very confused. Didn't she see that girl was grievously injured earlier? That must be some potent healing semblance to be able to survive and heal from an explosion that had reduced the shop to rubble so easily without leaving behind a scar.

..

Yang was looking hurt and confused as she looked at her hands in confusion – what's wrong with her? Was she burning up? Was she on fire? Granted her semblance was fire generation and manipulation, but this was a little too much, right?

No – this was all her, and it was her fault that she had tried something new like pushing aura to her legs to run faster.

Stupid Ruby and her insistent that it might work – but it had, so why...

"Okay – someone tell me what's going on... Oi what's wrong this time?"

Yang was hurt when all of them suddenly shied away from her, before she noticed it, steam was literally coming off her as she blinked in shock.

"… I'm really burning, aren't I?"

"Yes – and why your clothes aren't on fire yet is beyond me."

Pyrrha added dryly as Yang looked at the four of them. Still she wasn't the oddest person out of their current party right now, that belonged to that other girl!

"All my clothes are heat proof – it's been like that since I was young – it's why they all look the same – I burned waaay too many of them when I was training with my semblance and aura when I was younger."

"...Right. Can you turn it down a little?"

"Trying to – give me a few minutes -"

Yang was interrupted when the sound of explosions rocked the area and the three of them turned to the direction of the noise, realizing it was from the docks before they took off.

Their long day was not over yet.


	31. Chapter 32

_Pieces out of Line_

_Original Concept: RWBY/Fate/Stay Night_

_Chapter __32_

..

_Created by: Rooster Teeth Productions/Type-Moon_

_written by: wrathie_

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**Author's Notes: XoreandoX has alot to say, and he covered most of what is important, so please listen to him.**

**Secondly, I would like to apologize for the shorter chapter. The next chapter will have an additional side-story staring our favorite blonde from RWBY, so look forward to that~**

**Lastly: Thank you razyangel for the beta help as well.**

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_XoreandoX: Wow has it really been 3 months…...Not really much to say other than I've been busy with some personal issues and wrathie has Flower to worry about. Like wrathie said in the previous chapter's A/N, we both don't have any intention of dropping PooL as a fic, it's just our time is being put into other places so getting chapters like this one beta'ed and checked for continuity errors is taking a bit more time than I'd like (Since I'm the only one that actually does continuity checking, thanks a lot Catherine). On another note since I'm sure wrathie will be bugging me to write it here anyhow, at wrathie's insistence I've started writing and publishing the Digimon x Log Horizon crossover fic "A Digital Tale". It was an idea I had a while back that has been gathering dust in my head, and much like how the original suggestion for using the Youkai Faction in Flower as a base wrathie has been pestering me to do something with it. I won't extend this A/N further by leaving a summary or explaining it, I already do that in the prologue's A/N and in my profile so check it out if you want, in any case back to PooL._

_.._

_In this chapter you get an idea about what kind of person Kiritsugu is in PooL, as you can see he isn't quite the robotic or dead-inside person he is in the Nasuverse. This is due to the fact that he had a completely different upbringing that didn't involve committing Patricide at a young age…..and that is all I will be saying on that matter without revealing any more spoilers._

_.._

_After consulting wrathie's initial knowledge on the matter, I feel I need to throw this in here just in case someone isn't as well informed. A Militia is not the nation's or a city's standing Military, it is a volunteer force that will act in the event of an emergency and are trained by military personnel typically. In some parts of the world this counts as a standing army or law enforcement but they aren't being paid by the government necessarily to do so. _

_In this instance the Vale Militia was created by the Fujimura family following the Great War to help with the protection of the City of Vale, however when compared to the skills and abilities of local law enforcement, the militia members are vastly superior in both skill and combat experience despite being comprised of mostly volunteers. This is due to the training the volunteers receive from former military personnel (retired Fujimura family members and hired mercenaries), what we haven't quite mentioned in the previous chapters regarding the Vale Militia is their funding, it is privately funded and most of the bounties they take for killing Grimm goes into the Barracks' upkeep and paying for the instructors._

_.._

_Getting back to Kiritsugu now, I'm sure those of you who have watched Fate/Zero will recognize the name of his firearm, we'll explain more about it in future chapters but for now just remember that it is still a very powerful single shot pistol._  
_There's still a lot more to come in the future and unfortunately we don't have a set schedule on when they'll all come out, I'll try to see if I can keep some form of tracking on the beta process on my profile page but no guarantees there. So until next time, Keep on Writing._

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..

Emiya Kiritsugu had done some initial recon work for this operation and discovered that it was getting perhaps a little too hot for Roman Torchwick to stay in Vale, security had been buffed up – no doubt due to their attack on a Tohsaka managed Dust shop, which meant he couldn't stay in Vale that much longer. Kiritsugu had to smile at the memory of how he had heard the head of the Tohsaka family personally install the protective measures that should be the norm for all commercial businesses in Vale, no in the entire world at this point.

It was just frustrating and insulting to see how brazen Roman was when it came to robbing Dust shops blind.

The security in the other towns have been lacking, but to see even Vale was being robbed blind before the militia had tightened security in the city had made him worried about the future of Remnant. In truth however, he knew that it was not the militia's fault for not safeguarding the city.

Vale's leaders have failed to support their local law enforcements since the introduction of the Vale Militia following the Great War. They have become too dependant on the Vale Militia to handle not only the Grimm surrounding the City of Vale but also their domestic affairs because of their superior training.

They didn't even specify or make a law requiring mandatory security requirements for the homes and establishments in Vale. Kiritsugu was sure that they could rob the entire city blind in a week and no one would be able to stop them.

The matter was revealed after they had been publicly named as the prime suspects just for chasing Roman and his lackeys off their latest target.

The lackeys were members of the White Fang, their choice of attire and their formations were clear signs of his instruction. Another one of his many regrets, teaching so many of them how to protect themselves but forgetting to teach them why to use their new skills.

Kiritsugu had done some groundwork after Roman had hit the first shop. The moment that they could escape from the law in a flashy vehicle that could be logically tracked down – and still remain at large gave Kiritsugu two options on how to judge the person known as Roman Torchwick.

1\. Roman Torchwick was a genius in hiding his tracks and was well deserving of his international terrorist namesake.

2\. Roman Torchwick had great influence, or was backed with someone with great influence who could stall or hide his tracks extremely well.

Judging from how incompetent Roman was when it came to dealing with the team leader of RWBY, and considering the audacity he had to commit crime in broad daylight. It is clear he isn't as brilliant as he is leading people to believe, and has the support of some other third party.

He did not have the time to try and gather information about his daughter's team – but they worked well together, and based on the reports regarding the Grimm attack that occurred in Forever Fall recently, they were obviously very capable of taking care of themselves in a fight.

Having his godson around to keep them safe was a bonus – Kiritsugu never thought that the human boy he had saved from that burning house would look up to him so much, nor did he expect him to grow into such a strong warrior.

Yes, a warrior – Kiritsugu could tell from the weary look in his eyes that his godson is no stranger to combat – he was still young, but to be able to sport those eyes meant that he had gone through many difficult battles.

Right now Shirou was keeping a silent watch over the workers from their vantage point on top of the tallest warehouse, something that was matched by his teammate – a Lie Ren who was just as impressive as his godson if not for the lack of stamina and the fact that he was being coerced to be here.

..

So the moment Kiritsugu sounds of a helicopter swooping down near where they were staking out – at the docks so brazenly, he knew that Roman and his gang of misfits were here. He raised a hand to gather his cell's attention, and they were his cell. The monkey Faunus, Sun Wukong had been recruited for this mission because the boy recognized him and wanted to learn the tricks of the trade from him. It was a case of right place, right time for him – or the exact opposite if he screwed this up and was named a thief and robber.

The other three were here of their own free will, his godson Shirou, his daughter Blake, the Schnee Heiress and the tag along Ren. They were his cell, and they would follow his orders – or people would die at the end for no good reason at all. They had to be silent, efficient, and focused. Kiritsugu had the sinking feeling that unless he kept a stern hand, the mission would be going to hell or explode in his face.

No, their faces – as a cell – they move as one, act as one – and if worst comes to worst, fail as one.

That was something all leaders were expected to know, one that Kiritsugu had followed and established for all the members of the White Fang before he had been chased out.

So when all of them approached cautiously and caught sight of how Roman was ordering and abusing his followers like they were nothing more than slaves riled Kiritsugu up more than anything else.

He had a mission, and that was capturing Roman Torchwick alive. Should he fail to accomplish that, he will make sure that Roman's men will not be able to complete it in his place.

* * *

..

Emiya Shirou found himself feeling a little excited as Kiritsugu barked out orders the moment he saw something amiss. It was amazing how sensitive and powerful a faunus' senses were compared to a human. His Faunus father, he would never stop the image of Kiritsugu having a pair of wolf ears on top of his head till his dying day – had gotten a power-up as he could hear the blade of the approaching helicopter even earlier than Blake could.

He had never seen his father in action before despite reading about his exploits in the archives of the Clock Tower, he had even persuaded Taiga's grandfather to share with him a few of his few stories with the legendary Kiritsugu.

So working alongside him in what he can hope is what his father would've been in at his prime was an exhilarating experience. He followed his instructions to the letter as he moved out together with Ren to take point, jumping from rooftop to rooftop as the other two teams, Kiritsugu and Blake's team – tried to pinpoint exactly where would their target would land.

Shirou knew that Roman Torchwick was a very arrogant person with a penchant for leaving most of the hard work to his underlings, at least based on what Ruby could tell him from her own encounter with the man. Honestly, it reminded him too much of a certain Matou that managed to avoid being on the pointy end of his sword.

However despite his arrogance, he still had the power to back up most of his boasts though, from the way Roman used dust gems, he was reminded of Rin's jewel craft.

In the same vein however, if he compared it to Rin's jewel craft, he knew exactly what to look out for. Rin was utterly relentless and inventive with her use of dust gems during their training sessions – if he didn't learn how to fight against an opponent – he would've been missing a limb or two. So he wasn't worried – what worried him was the many other guards that were posted around him. From the roof of the warehouse he landed on, Shirou could make out more than twenty grunts standing guard in the distance and all of them were carrying firearm of some sort.

Depending on their aim they might be able to keep them from getting in close to attack, or worse, take them out of the fight by exhausting their aura supply. As he finished assessing the enemy's forces, Shirou looked back to see his father's reaction. Kiritsugu's only response to the presence of so many of his former kin was to check the magazine of his modified sub-machine gun.

This was after all the ideal that Kiritsugu had planted him with for a long time, and just allowed his father to take the lead this time.

* * *

..

"Blake, I want you to flank them from the top. They will be using the cranes to move around most of the crates. Look carefully at the insignia painted on the crates that they are using to move them– Schnee, they have your company's logo on them, could you track them down if they get away?"

Kiritsugu observed without any traces of emotion in his voice, that irked Weiss, but more than anything it was the revelation that he was right. Was her family helping the criminal Roman Torchwick? That was – were they tricked? Or did they steal from the Schnee? She wasn't sure for now, but answers would come from that terrorist and thief when they captured him.

"Will do, father. Let's go – Weiss."

Weiss nodded to Blake in reply and the two started roof-hopping towards the nearest building that would allow them to get close to the crane.

"Wukong, you follow Shirou and Ren and circle around towards the crates at the end of the dock. I want the three of you to be in position where they would start loading the crates into their transport. I want at least one of you to be in the loading area to keep an eye on things as they start loading up. On my signal, cut straight into them. Attack to kill, they will be trying to do the same to you."

Kiritsugu told them calmly as he watched Weiss and Blake's progress towards their destination. The two of them were waiting for an opportunity to be propelled to the nearest crane and were making good progress towards their destination. But even if they failed, he'll be there to back them up.

"You have to find your own entry route into the dock, you would be able to recognize my signal – but the moment Roman Torchwick is spotted – there is no going back from the mission. Capture him at all cost."

"What are you going to do, Sir?"

Wukong had shown himself to be at awe of working besides a famous Faunus like Kiritsugu, and right now he sounded a little disappointed that he wouldn't be seeing Kiritsugu in action.

"I'll be making first contact with the enemy, if we're lucky I can prevent some unnecessary fatalities, if not...I'll do what needs to be done."

Normally Kiritsugu wouldn't have considered trying to talk to his target or their lackeys. However given the fact that Roman's men were members of the White Fang, he felt he had a good chance to talk them out of impeding his goals, especially given who their boss is.

Despite the presence of the Vale Militia, Roman Torchwick was still this brazen and arrogant. He could work with that – regardless of what plans he could pull out of his ass.

"Now go."

Kiritsugu barked the order before he made his move, jumping from his position on the roof to the street below, casually advancing at his own sedated pace.

* * *

..

"What do you think he's doing, huh?"

Wukong asked the other members of his team as they took the long way around, slipping down several side paths to hopefully come up near the warehouses that were using to hold all the containers of dust.

"He's approaching them, perhaps to prevent a confrontation." Shirou replied, however based on what Kiritsugu has told them, it didn't look it would be happening. Ren nodded beside him, Shirou's partner had been providing laconic responses and although he was polite to him, he didn't seem too motivated until now.

Wukong really hoped that they were right and the containers did contain stolen Dust. If they weren't, he might have to consider an exit strategy to avoid getting arrested for what can be viewed as illegal activity. That would definitely not be cool at all.

Anyway, Roman Torchwick had a lot to answer for and as a law-abiding citizen…...most of the time, he had an obligation to society to bring him in before more criminals following his example appear.

Wukong was also pretty sure that the cute cat girl had caught on that the lackeys were all from the White Fang as well.

Every Faunus worth their salt knew about the White Fang. It used to be a very respectable organization but after it's more violent ways in trying to get more rights for Faunus, had quickly seen their support base split off into two sides.

One was the side that was disgusted by what the White Fang were doing, using violence as a means to get what they want while the other side was supporting their new methods of gaining power through the use of power and force.

The Faunus had always felt that it wasn't quite fair to them that they, the stronger race (with their better senses, stamina along with all of what the humans had to their advantage), was subjugating them and making them feel like an inferior species.

The Faunus _should_ be the dominant species, not the humans – that was the radical train of thought that the White Fang was encouraging now.

Wukong himself was on the fence, his best friend and teammate Neptune was a human and they didn't have any problems with each other. Honestly, one of the reasons he agreed to help Kiritsugu in the first place was because he wanted to see for himself what the White Fang was like before their change in direction from the eyes of one of their best.

Still both sides had good arguments but it looked like it would be next to impossible for both sides to come to a compromise anytime soon.

But back to the White Fang and Blake, he wasn't sure why she was so tight-lipped about the fact that she was a member of the White Fang previously. Perhaps she expected or wanted Kiritsugu to tell the rest about them instead?

But now it was too late and it probably doesn't matter now, they were all still criminals after all and in the eye of the law Faunus and humans were all the same in that regard.

Of course – the law would carry a lot more weight in his eyes if they treated the Faunus and Humans equally instead of treating them like second class citizens.

"We'll have to back him up, just like how he will back us up later."

Shirou added on, his eyes wary as he kept a watch out for all of them. When Ren agreed, Wukong shrugged as he agreed too. The old man, Kiritsugu, had bailed him out of trouble and the past few days had taught him a lot on tracking and avoiding capture than he could ever dream about. The old man was as wily as a fox and he owed it to him help him out this time.

Wukong was also pretty sure that whatever happened, it'll be too damn epic to miss out as well.

* * *

..

Kiritsugu pulled out a pair of sunglasses that he used to keep the sun's glare out of his eyes and put them on while he walked towards the brightly lit space that Roman Torchwick set up to calmly and efficiently prepare his ill gotten gains for transport. If only he could just put a bullet through his head, it would be all over now.

But since killing him before he can confess to his crimes to the Schnee would be detrimental to his goals, he'd keep his Calico and Thompson holstered. Despite the fact that he was not bearing arms, every single Faunus present froze up in fear and apprehension at the mere sight of him.

Good – he was still recognizable to the members of the White Fang and Faunus in general. He was also obscuring his identity as he was wearing a dark brown hoodie that covered his ears. Still, this was how he was dressed when he went out on missions back when he was a member of the White Fang, besides that his choice of weaponry was very unique as well.

It was with a bit of annoyance that Kiritsugu noted that Roman did not have the same reaction as most of them did.

The orange haired criminal looked at Kiritsugu dismissively for a moment before realizing the state of his men, and then redirecting his attention back the Huntsman with a frown while fiddling around with his cigar.

"Well now, who have we here?"

Roman tried to bait him but Kiritsugu did not indulge him, only choosing to speak up softly. Despite him doing so, he made sure that the White Fang members closest to him could hear him.

"Members of White Fang, I am disappointed to see how far you have fallen after her passing. To willingly follow the orders of this human as if you're his pet."

Kiritsugu couldn't stop the sneer from appearing on his face as he looked at Roman, the man frowning in disgust at the way he phrased it. It sounded like a swear word, but he meant it to be a swear word in the first place. Such was his disgust at them working with such an incompetent fool like Roman Torchwick.

"What did you say? Get this drunkard out off my property."

To his credit, Roman actually kept his cool and did not lose his temper at his insult. It was a pity, if he had lost his temper, it would've made it easier to take him down and keep him from noticing what the kids were doing.

Kiritsugu was also gratified to see that they all hesitated, allowing him the chance to speak again.

"Drop your weapons and help turn him in and all would be forgiven, I would even allow safe passage for all of you to return to your base. He's the one I want."

Kiritsugu laid his terms, but he was already in motion as he crouched down, and taking a powerful leap to the top of the nearest container.

The White Fang members hesitated again as Roman shouted at them.

"Well what are you all waiting for, KILL HIM! And as for you fur face, who do you think you are? You're nothing but a dead man!"

"I don't think so."

Kiritsugu gave a cruel smile as he drew Thompson in one smooth movement and firing a single shot at Roman taking a drag from his newly lit cigar. Despite how he'd love nothing more than to splatter his brains all over the dock, but he since he couldn't, he'll have to settle for a little intimidation instead.


End file.
